Arrhythmia
by isabela may
Summary: She is the nerdy, art freak. He is the hot and famous soccer player. A party. A paper. A bet. Clary Fray is the school outcast. Her school life has been pretty quiet, well, that is, until Jace Herondale – the campus heartthrob – steps into her life. What happens? It's obvious: PANDEMONIUM.
1. Prologue

Arrhythmia

by: Tyrelle Elise

* * *

Blurb: She is the nerdy, art freak. He is the hot and famous soccer player. A party. A paper. A bet. Clary Fray is the school outcast. Her school life has been pretty quiet, well, that is, until Jace Herondale – the campus heartthrob – steps into her life. What happens? It's obvious: PANDEMONIUM.

* * *

Note: Set in present time (2015), alternate universe, all humans, no shadow world, some OOC (out of character)

Author's Note:

So… this was started on 2013, and I just now had the time to focus on it. The idea for this story just popped out of my mind while writing the prologue of _Under One Umbrella_ (a TID fanfic I started and even published here under the username Devonne Gayle, haha). I know, it's quite funny (or is it just me? XD) And… this is my first The Mortal Instruments-based fanfic, so please be gentle. ^_^v

This is the Prologue and is written in the third person perspective. The following chapters, however, will be written in first person point of view of alternating characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story (sadly). They belong to the wonderful Cassie Clare. The plot, story, and ideas are all mine, though.

* * *

**_Arrhythmia _**

**_Prologue_**

Clary Fray sat alone on a table near the window in the Lightwood Academy's library as she finished writing her homework in Biotechnology regarding the Stem Cell Therapy. Sighing, she moved to arrange her things and put them inside her backpack. Standing up, she checked if she left anything. Seeing that she's set to go, she started her way towards the "Novels" shelves in the farthest corner of the library to get a copy of _Animal Farm_ for her book report in English III.

"Jace, Jace, Jace" she heard a girl's voice mutter. Clary sighed as she neared the end of one shelf. There must be another sneaky couple doing unmentionable things in between two shelves. Oh, how she hates them. The library is her favorite place in school, and other students just besmirch it with their nasty doings. How dare they?

For the umpteenth time that day, Clary heaved a sigh. Unfortunately, she has to turn another corner in order to get to the "An" section of novels, and that's where the couple was doing… something. The noise got louder as she turned the corner. She saw a nauseating sight of a girl with long black hair being pushed against a bookshelf by a tall and lean boy, with golden blond hair. The two of them were passionately kissing inside their little bubble of intimacy. Clary would have just ignored them, if only they were not blocking the book she needed.

"Uhm… excuse me?" she asked, hesitation and nervousness so obvious in her voice even though she said it so quietly that it was barely audible. The boy, however, has a very good sense of hearing because he pulled away, making the girl let out a sound of protest. He turned around to see the interrupter.

And that's when golden eyes met emerald ones.

_Uh-oh_, Clary thought. She knew this boy – Jace Herondale, senior student, the most valuable player of the Lightwood Academy's soccer team. Almost everyone in the school knows him – who wouldn't, when he looks like an angel from heaven with his matching set of blonde hair and golden eyes. But with his good looks and charisma, he's also one of the school's biggest playboys.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Jace asked her with a smile, as if he was not just caught in the act of making out with a girl. The smile _almost_ made him look innocent.

Fighting the creeping blush on her cheeks – who wouldn't blush when the campus crush calls you sweetheart? – Clary looked away immediately then answered, "I-I need to get a book. But you-you're in the way."

"What book, darling?" Jace asked nonchalantly, briefly looking at the books near him, running his long fingers along the spines. He turned his gaze back at Clary, obviously not having a plan of moving away from the shelf. "Anna Karenina? Animal Farm?"

"Animal Farm," Clary answered quickly.

Jace gracefully pulled out a copy of Animal Farm without taking away his eyes off the girl. "Here," he said, handing it to her. "You know, it won't kill you if you look at me. Actually, many girls would love to pay a hundred dollars just to be in your situation right now," he said.

Slowly, Clary turned to look at Jace. She was a bit surprised, finding that the black-haired girl had somehow left already without her noticing. "Here," he said, offering the book again, with a smirk plastered on his handsome face. She carefully took the book from him, avoiding contact – both eye and physical. When she fully had the book on her hand, she moved to take it back but Jace quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, a blush quickly invading her cheeks.

"Nothing," he answered, looking down at her with the smirk still present on his face. "Can't I just get a reward for giving you the book you needed?" he whispered in a husky voice.

Clary took a deep breath. She's dangerously close to Jace that she could feel his body heat. He's a playboy, and she knew exactly what he's planning to do. Suddenly, it was so quiet, oddly quiet even for a library. She could hear Jace's breathing, and the rapid, irregular rhythm of her heart. She also knew that her face is beet red.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jace bent down to level his face to Clary's, which is quite a task because the girl is so short, much, much shorter than him. And damn, he almost bumped into her glasses. Clary's heartbeat became faster and she could feel Jace's breath on her face. _No_, she thought. _This is SO wrong_. Clary shook her head and then gingerly put her hands on Jace's chest, making the boy smirk, thinking that she's finally giving in. When their lips are only almost an inch apart, Clary pushed Jace with all her might, making the boy stumble backwards.

"What the hell?!" he asked, a little bit surprised and a little bit pissed off. He clearly wasn't expecting to be pushed away, not when he's about to kiss a girl.

"Don't 'What the hell?' me," Clary answered, her voice small but powerful. "For your information, I am a virtuous person and is not like other girls who let random guys kiss them."

Annoyingly, Jace smirked. "Oh… playing innocent, aren't you? That's somewhat of a turn on for me." That earned him a disgusted look from Clary. "You know what? You'll regret pushing me away, little girl, because what happened earlier will be the only time that a boy will try to kiss you."

Clary huffed. "I don't care. It's not as if I'd die if a boy won't kiss me," she said, glaring at him. "And besides, I didn't ask you to get the book for me, so I don't owe you any reward or something."

The smirk on Jace's face didn't vanish. "Really? Because in all honesty, you don't need to ask me to get the book for you 'cause it's pretty obvious that you can't reach it with that height of a grade-schooler you have. And for your information, you owe me two, first the book and second, for interrupting an important activity I'm having with a… friend."

Clary rolled her emerald green eyes. Deciding to ignore the comment about her height, she said, "Oh, I'm so sorry that I interrupted you and your 'friend' just to get a book. I'm sorry that I'm studying hard and that my efforts stopped your 'important activities'." Sarcasm dripped in her voice. "And if that's what you do with your friends, I am so glad that I am not one of them."

Jace, seemingly unaffected by what she said, answered, "You really should be sorry, sweetness."

"Do NOT call me names," Clary said sharply, tilting her head up just so she could at his face.

"Why?" Jace challenged. "Are you afraid that by hearing them, you won't be able to stop yourself from raping me, darling?"

Not letting his words get on her nerves, Clary just said, "You don't even know my name."

"So? Does it look like I need to know your name, baby? " Jace taunted with amusement dancing in his golden eyes. "It's not as if I'd die if I don't know your name, right?" he added, using the same tone she used earlier when she told him about not dying if a boy won't kiss her.

"Ugh. I hate you!" Clary shouted before she hurriedly ran away. Her fiery red hair swayed after her.

Jace just chuckled. That girl is weird… and cute. He raked his left hand through his hair. As he was about to leave, he noticed a rectangular object lying on the floor. Approaching it, he saw that it's a book. And the title? He snickered. _Animal Farm_. He picked it up and returned it to the shelf.

Oh well.

* * *

So, that's the prologue ^_^ I hope you liked it, mangoes ;) [Yes, I'll call you all my mangoes 3] I know it's short but it's only the prologue. Don't you worry, the following chapters will be longer. Honestly, I love writing long chapters. I just thought that the prologue should not be so long.

Please be nice as to leave a review, it'll be very much appreciated. :)

xoxo,

Tyrelle Elise

-All Rights Reserved -

[August 2013]

Revised [February 2015]

Revised [May 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	2. Chapter 1

Arrhythmia

by: Tyrelle Elise

* * *

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you who viewed and favorite and followed this story! Also, the reviews are overwhelming. :) They're very much appreciated. In return, I'll try my best to make this story good.

And… finally. Here is the first chapter of Arrhythmia! I hope you'll enjoy this :)

**OOC Alert:** One of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer is lack of characterization. So if you expect the characters to act as they do in TMI, then I'm sorry because your expectations won't be met here. Hehe. Deal.

With.

It.

Disclaimer: The characters used in this story are not mine. They're all from the wonderful work, The Mortal Instruments written by the great Cassie Clare. On the other hand, the idea for this story is mine.

* * *

**_Arrhythmia_**

**_Chapter 1: Unfortunate Encounters_**

**-CLARY-**

_The sky was dark except for the few sparkles of stars here and there. A boy and a girl were sitting on a bench, holding hands and exchanging words in whispers."I've waited all my life for this," the boy said. "I love you," he added._

_The girl looked at the boy lovingly. "I love you too," she said. I was surprised when I heard the girl's voice. Suddenly, her face came into view and a shudder went through me as I realized that the girl is _me.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" I screamed as I sat bolt upright on my bed, soaking with sweat. "Just a dream," I whispered to myself, "Just. A. Dream." I fanned my face with my hands, inhaling and exhaling hard. "Woah. Calm down, Clary, it's just a dream."

"Talking to yourself, huh," a voice from my doorway said. "Very interesting."

I turned my head to see my brother leaning against my door, smirking. "Get lost, Jonathan," I said, irritated. He opened his mouth as if to speak but I interrupted him with "Yes. Tell mom that I'm going to take a bath and then head downstairs."

"You slept with your lights on last night," Jonathan said.

"You do that all the time," I retorted as I reached for my glasses on my small bedside table. After putting it on, I stood up and stretched. Seeing that my brother hasn't left yet, I just ignored him and went to get my towel and clothes, humming to myself.

"Fine. Hurry up," my brother said before leaving my room. Hmm. Moody much?

Looking at the time on my watch, I hurriedly went to take a bath because it says that I only have thirty minutes left before the bell rings for my first class. Not to mention my school is fifteen minutes away from home.

* * *

Students were already rushing to their rooms as I entered the main building of Lightwood Academy. "Excuse me," I said as I squirmed my way in between students. I glanced at my watch: three minutes left. Uh-oh. I turned another corner. Only one turn left and I'll be near my destination. Feeling a bit excited, I happily turned, which turned out to be a bad idea.

"What the hell?!" I heard a very girly and throaty voice yell. I took some time to steady myself. When I looked at the voice's owner, I saw a long-legged brunette with her red lipstick smudged and hair disheveled. I also noticed that her skirt was hitched up a little and her revealing top was kind of crumpled.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled as I tried to walk past her, the door to my classroom only ten feet away. I ignored the possibility that I might have interrupted her making out with someone.

The girl thrust her hands on her hips and stood defiantly in my way, blocking it. "And where do you think you're going?"

"Uhm… to my class?" I said.

She rolled her eyes. "No way," and then she smirked, "you need to pay for interrupting me and my boyfriend."

Boyfriend? Oh, so I really did interrupt a make-out session. Oops.

"Hayley," a voice said, "just let the girl go." Something in the voice was familiar, but not that much. Maybe I heard it only once? Twice? A boy then came into view. Tall, blond hair, golden eyes dancing with amusement, angular cheekbones and a smirk plastered on his face – which had some red lipstick kiss marks, by the way. Oh God, unfortunately, I know this boy.

"But Jaaace," the girl – Hayley – whimpered. "She just interrupted us. She needs to pay for that."

"I don't care what she did," Jace said. "And for your information, I am not your boyfriend." He took Hayley by the shoulders and moved her aside, like a doll, clearing my path. He then looked at me, smiling. "You may pass now, sweetie," he said.

I took a deep breath and tried to ignore Hayley's burning gaze of hatred and then made my way to my classroom, not before glaring at Jace, who just raised an eyebrow at me.

"Miss Clary," I heard Mr. Lucian Graymark, my math teacher, say. "You are two minutes late."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Graymark," I mumbled as I went to my desk. "It won't happen again."

He narrowed his eyes. "Detention after classes this afternoon," he said and then turned to face the board to start his lesson in the nose-bleeding mathematics.

I sighed as I slumped down on my chair. I tried to listen to Mr. Graymark's lesson in spite of it being too boring. I know that I should listen because Trigonometry is not my best subject but my mind started to drift off into somewhere.

Unexpectedly, Jace Herondale came into my mind. Mr. Herondale and his arrogant, annoying and attractive smirk. WAIT! Did I just call his smirk "attractive"? No way! And why am I thinking of him in the first place? For all I know, the only two encounters I've had with him both put me in trouble.

Last week, I almost did not meet the deadline for my book review on _Animal Farm_ for my English Class. And it's his entire fault. I still remember that day in the library, when he tried to and almost… Ugh. I really hate him. And just some minutes ago, it's his fault again that I'm going to have detention this afternoon.

Jace Herondale and his troublesome make-out sessions. With two different girls. In two different places, inside the school premises. During the same month, may I add? Oh, how I hope I won't run into him again. Ever.

"Clary," someone whispered and poked me. I looked at my right and saw Simon Lewis, my seatmate and the closest thing I have for a friend, looking at me. He looks a little bit concerned.

"What?" I asked him as I tried to shake my head and myself out of my reverie. "What?" I asked again. Simon did not answer, bit his lip, and then looked away. Huh. He's acting weird.

"I asked you a question, Miss Fray," a voice said in front of me. "And you haven't answered me yet. Well, if you could count staring at nothing and daydreaming as an answer, I'm sorry but it's wrong."

I slowly, and nervously, turned my head and looked up. I was met by the intense gaze of Mr. Graymark. "What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Fray?" he asked me in a barely contained angry voice.

I looked down, embarrassed, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, sir."

"You really should be," Mr. Graymark said before marching to the front of the room. "Now, let's move on to…" he started and I sat straight up ignoring the looks from some of my classmates and tried to listen attentively to my teacher, not wanting to be scolded once again.

* * *

During lunch, I sat alone on a far end table, as usual, happily munching my meal. Everyone ignored and walked past me, not that I care – I ignored them, too. As I was about to take another bite of my slice of cheesy pizza, I heard and sensed someone standing in front of my table. I didn't know why but I tensed and froze on my seat. I didn't dare ask the person what he or she wants, I just sat there, waiting for the person to speak first.

"Uhm…" he started. He, because the voice was low, probably belonging to a boy. But why would a boy stand in front of my table during lunch?

Curiosity threatened to kill me, so I turned my head up and was surprised when I saw the person.

"Can I sit here and eat lunch with you?" he asked.

"Oh," I said, hiding my surprise, "of course yes."

* * *

"Hey!" I shouted as a cab just drove past me for the fourth time this very late afternoon. Ugh. I tried to calm myself down. Impatience won't do me any good.

Curse Mr. Graymark and his sadist mind! He decided to extend my detention from an hour to two and a half. He said that it was for my own good, so that I'd be inspired as to not be late in his class again and to listen attentively so that I could answer any questions thrown at me. Good for him to go home late. He has his own car. Well, how about me?

I looked down at my watch. Fifteen minutes past seven. I have been waiting here for too long. Where are the cabs? Oh, this is really not the best day of my life. Okay, fine. Then I'll just walk home, I don't want to waste some more of my time waiting here.

I sighed heavily and readjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. I was about ready to go and walk when a blue sports car stopped in front of me. It looks so expensive and it probably belongs to someone so darn rich. But why would it stop in front of me during this time of the day?

The window by the passenger's seat rolled down. And guess who was the driver and certainly, the owner?

Jace Herondale.

"What?" I asked him, trying not to sound irritated as I remembered that if I hadn't bumped into him and that girl Hayley this morning, I wouldn't be late and wouldn't have had to have detention.

Herondale looked amused. "What are you doing here, sweetheart?" he asked me as if he didn't hear my question. "I did not know you have a habit of loitering around the school every early evening."

"That's because you don't really know me," I said. "And I'm not loitering, for your information. As you see, I'm waiting for a cab so I can go home. So if you please, you might want to get your car out of the way, Mr. Herondale."

He raised an eyebrow and I saw a smirk tugging at his lips. "You know me," he said. "Ooh. Interesting."

I rolled my eyes. "Unfortunately, yes," I said. "So… are you going to get your car away or do you want me to kick it and send you flying home?" Ha. Very funny, Clary. As if you could do that.

Jace, Herondale, whatever, chuckled. "Come on in," he said.

"What?"

"Get inside and I'll drive you home," he said, smiling smugly.

Is he serious? He doesn't even know me! Why give me a ride? "Uh… Thanks, but no thanks," I said.

"I never accept no as an answer," he said, "now come on in before I change my mind."

My mind did a quick thinking. There's a huge possibility that if I accept his offer, I'll be in some kind of trouble. On the other hand, there's also the possibility that no cab will pass in here for a long time. And it's getting late. Perhaps, I should give Jace Herondale the chance to make it up to me?

"Okay," I said as I opened the door and got inside his car. It smells so good and so masculine inside. I looked around and noticed a small bag beside me.

"You can put it on your lap if you want," Jace said. He had already started to drive. "Actually, I don't care if you want to or not. Just do it. You'd be able to sit more comfortably if you do and I don't you want to run around and tell everyone that it's uncomfortable inside my car."

I scoffed but I did as he told otherwise. "Why are you going home late, anyway?" I asked him, attempting to start a conversation. As much as I don't like talking to him, I figured that we should have a conversation because I get the feeling that a silent ride alone with Jace Herondale would be one hundred percent awkward.

"I had some important things to do," he replied. "And you?"

Ignoring his question, I asked, "Important? Like, what? Making out with a new girl?" I was revulsed by the thought alone.

"Detention," he said.

"You had detention, too?" I asked, without thinking.

He snickered. "Nope," he said, "I was just trying to guess why you're going home late. It seems like my first guess was correct."

I glared at him. He somehow knew I did. "Don't glare at me, it is making you look less beautiful," he said.

In spite of the situation, I blushed. I rarely get compliments from guys and certainly not from guys as good-looking as him. "Whatever," I said, "so what was the 'important' thing that you had to do?"

"It's confidential,"

"Really,"

"Yes. Maybe you should make a research on it the next time you get detention,"

I let out an irritated sigh. "I hate you," I mumbled.

"I love you too, honey," he said and I just know that he's smiling. The bastard.

I decided to ignore him and just looked out the window. And that's when I realized something. "Wait," I said as I turned to face him, "where are we?"

Jace hummed. "Somewhere. I've been waiting for you to tell me where you live but it looked like you were more interested in asking questions about me than going home," he said. The car stopped. "Not that I can blame you, though, I just know I'm that interesting. But bad luck, we're stuck in traffic."

"Why didn't you ask me?" I questioned him.

He turned to me briefly and shrugged. Fine. I looked out the window again and told him my address. Moments later, I heard music and I realized that he had turned on the radio. I didn't recognize the song playing but it sounded good so I nod my head in time with the song, still looking out.

The car in front of us moved and so did Jace's car. He drove to the nearest u-turn spot and then started to drive toward the address I gave him. The song on the radio changed to a relaxing one. Jace hummed to the song's tune and it was so soothing.

I closed my eyes to feel the song better and before I knew it, I was already in dreamland.

...

I was awoken by the sound of the car coming to a stop. "We're here," I heard Jace's voice whisper, "wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

Groggily, I straightened myself up and rubbed sleep out of my eyes. I don't know how long I slept but I surely feel better now. I looked at the time in the car: thirty minutes past eight. I scrambled up. "Um… Thanks, I guess," I said as I hurriedly went out of his car, carrying my things with me. "And… uh, I'm sorry for the trouble!" Gosh, why did I say that? He should be the one saying sorry.

Confused, I ran and went inside our house the same time Jace's car revved up to life. My mom was there in our small living room, looking at me and I think I heard Jonathan's bedroom door slam shut.

The look on my mom's face certainly says: _Explain yourself and be honest, Clarissa._

Oh well, I have a lot to explain to my mom. Help me God.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

So there you have it mangoes, the chapter one of _Arrhythmia_! I hope you liked it! :D

Leave a review, will you? c; Constructive criticisms are welcome, too :)

… Watch out for the next chapter?! :D

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved 2013]

Revised [February 2015]

Revised [May 2015]

[Copyright © 2013 Tyrelle Elise]


	3. Chapter 2

Arrhythmia

by: Tyrelle Elise

* * *

Hi there :) So I'm finally updating! Yay! Haha. Again, I want to thank everyone who gave this fic a chance. The reviews, favorites and follows are so very much appreciated. They are what motivates me more in writing this story. And um, I'm sorry if this chapter is short, I sort of had a writer's block and school is kind of consuming more of my time nowadays. I'm sorry (again)!

I hope you like this chapter, anyway. I promise, the next ones will be way better.

**OOC Alert: **As some of you may have noticed, I have a problem with characterization when it comes to fanfics. So if you expect the characters in here to act the same way that they do in TMI, then I'm sorry, but this fic is not for you.

Disclaimer: The characters and names used in this story is not mine. They were all created by the wonderful Cassandra Clare. The plot and pretty much everything, though, is rightfully mine and mine to brag alone (kidding!).

* * *

**_Arrhythmia_**

**_Chapter 2: Booked_**

**-CLARY-**

The usual eight-minute ride from our house to school felt longer for me this morning. I woke up late again and had to skip breakfast in order to not be late. What's worse is that the subway train that stops closest to our school had already left when I arrived at the station so I had to wait for the next one. And above all, I was mostly annoyed because of an extra baggage that I had to carry with me – Jace Herondale's bag.

Last night, after explaining to Mom what happened as best and as honest as I could, I quickly rushed off to my room, mumbling some excuses about not being hungry at all and the likes. After I changed into my pj's, I went to my study table to do my homework when I noticed something – I have brought home two bags.

JACE HERONDALE!

Oh. Oh, right. There was a bag on the passenger's seat of his car and he told me to put it on my lap when I climbed in to sit. And… shoot. In my hurry to get out of the car, I accidentally carried it with me!

Oh my gosh. Now my hopes of not ever seeing or being associated with him anymore just got crushed. I am not so excited for school. For sure, Jace Herondale will come hunting me to retrieve his bag.

I was brought back to the real world by the sound of a chair being pulled back. I looked up to see my lunch mate yesterday already making himself comfortable in his seat.

"Hi," he said, smiling at me a little.

"Hello," I smiled and then continued to sip on my orange juice.

"I hope you won't mind me joining you again for lunch?" he asked while munching on his sandwich.

"Nope," I replied as I drank the last of my drink.

He just nodded his head and continued to eat.

"Clary!" I heard someone shout my name and then saw a boy running towards me.

"Simon? What is it?" I asked.

For a moment, Simon eyed my lunch-mate but then returned his attention back to me. "I was wondering if you're free this weekend."

Surely I am free this weekend. But I won't admit it yet. "Why?" I asked.

He swallowed. "Um. It's Isabelle Lightwood's birthday party and they said anyone could come." I think I know where this is going. "Would you… um… perhaps like to come with me?"

I heard my lunch-mate cough a little. I decided to ignore it.

Isabelle Lightwood. The daughter of the Lightwood Family, owner of this academy. Of course everyone in the school would be invited to her birthday celebration, but knowing the reality of this academy and its web of social relationships, only a few people could actually party and enjoy the event. "Uh, Simon, I get it that you want to come. But why with me?"

Simon looked embarrassed. "It's uh. Because they have a policy for this year's party. You have to have a date so you could attend." He looked down at his hands. "It's okay of you say no."

I really want to say no. But looking at Simon and knowing that he has this crush on Isabelle, I just can't. He looks like he's really desperate to go to the party. "Okay," I said, which evidently brightened him up. "But on one condition," I added.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked excitedly.

"You should greet her a happy birthday," I said.

He flushed. "But…"

"No 'buts', Simon. It's either that or you won't be able to go there at all."

He seemed to think of it. "Okay," he said. "Thanks, Clary!" And then he ran away. It was then that I realized that my lunch-mate might have overheard us talking but when I turned to look at him, he was already gone.

Now where is Jace Herondale? I've been carrying his bag for almost the whole day and I still haven't seen even a shadow of him. What does he think of me? His personal maid who'd be willing to go around carrying his bag?!

"Looking for me?" I heard a voice ask and I didn't need to look to see who the owner of the voice is.

I let out a sigh. "Yes."

A chuckle. "Why, I didn't think you'd miss me this much already. It's not even twenty-hours yet since we were last together."

I tried not to roll my eyes. "Who says I miss you? I just want to give you back your bag."

"Clary!" A voice shouted from across the field. Uh-oh. Simon, not now please.

Jace Herondale acted as if he didn't hear the voice. "Now give it back to me," he said smugly.

I was about to give it to him when an idea suddenly popped out of my head. "Not so fast, Herondale," I said as I pulled the bag towards me, which raised an eyebrow from him.

"What is it this time, honey?" he asked.

On my peripheral vision, I saw that Simon has finally reached us. "Clary, I have some updates about the party," he announced.

That caught Jace's attention. "Do you know this person?" he asked me.

"Uh, yeah," I replied.

Jace gave Simon one full look and then returned his attention back to me. "So… what were you saying about my bag?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm only giving it to you on one condition," I stated.

Jace only looked amused. "And that condition is?"

"If you quit messing with me."

Jace laughed. "But darling, I am not messing with you." He's smiling. Damn him.

I glared at him. "Yes you are. All the bad things that happened to me these past weeks all boil down to you."

Jace just laughed and I can't help but notice that Simon is restless beside me. I motioned toward him. "Come on, Simon, let's talk about what you wanted to tell me a while ago." I looked at Jace and threw him his bag. "Leave me alone." And then I stalked off, praying that Simon followed my lead and that Herondale won't follow me.

"What's with you two?" Simon asked as he hurried to catch up behind me.

"Nothing," I answered nonchalantly, hoping that he won't ask further.

"It didn't look like nothing," Simon remarked and I can't help but get annoyed. We're just starting to be friends and here he decides to ask personal stuff. I tried to hide my annoyance. "So, what were you talking about the party?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

Simon reddened. "Uhm.. uh... the truth is... I don't really have anything to say. I was just walking and then I saw you with Jace Herondale - I don't know why you're with him - and I figured you were feeling uncomfortable and since you agreed to go with me..."

"You thought you would help me," I finished for him. I sighed. "I appreciate your effort, Simon, but you didn't have to do that."

He just nodded."I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I assured him. "I gotta go now, bye!" I said before leaving.

"Madame Dorothea is inviting us over for dinner this weekend," mom announced over our little family dinner.

"I can't go," dad said immediately, not looking at mom.

A sad expression passed over mom's face but it vanished quickly. "It's okay, I'm sure she would understand. I'll be fine with the kids."

I felt this sudden guilt wash over me. "Uhm… Mom? Actually, I can't go, too." I said in a voice that could barely be heard.

Mom, Dad, and Jonathan all looked surprised. "You can't come? Why?" Mom asked, sounding disappointed.

"Um… my friend asked me to accompany him to the birthday party of Isabelle Lightwood, the daughter of the owner of my school."

Jonathan scoffed. "I didn't know you have friends."

I just glared at him while Mom sent him a warning look. She studied me for a moment. "It's okay, dear, I understand. I'm glad that you're slowly coming out of your shell." She smiled at me before shoving the spoon in her mouth.

I looked at Dad and he just nodded at me. "Just make sure nothing bad happens," he said.

"I doubt that," Jonathan said to which I just rolled my eyes.

It was at night, after doodling on my journal, that I realized one thing: I am going to a rich person's party.

And I don't have anything to wear that would fit to the occasion.

Shoot.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Nothing much happened, right? Haha. Don't worry, I promise I'll try my best to make the next one better :)

Please stay tuned :D

And oh, thanks for reading, really. And I honestly want to hear your opinions so why don't you all try to leave a review? Yeah? Hehe. Thanks!

I love you all, mangoes.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved 2015]

[Copy Right © tyrellelise]


	4. Chapter 3

Arrhythmia

by: Tyrelle Elise

* * *

Hi :) Apologies for the late update, here's the next chapter! :)

Many thanks to everyone who put this story on alert, who followed and favorite this story and me, who left a review – to everyone who spent their time to read this fanfic.

**OOC Alert: **As some of you may have noted, the characters in this story does not act the same way they do on the TMI books. That's because I have poor characterization skills. So if you're looking for a fanfic where Clary is totally Clary and Jace is totally Jace, I'm sorry but this fanfic is not right for you.

Disclaimer: The characters used in this story are not originally mine. They are all the creation of the wonderful author, Cassandra Clare. However, the plot line and story are mine.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 3: Crossed Paths Again**_

**-JACE-**

"So, who are you going with to Izzy's party?" Sebastian asked as he took drink from his glass.

"What party?" I asked back.

"You know, her birthday party. Don't tell me you forgot your childhood friend's birthday."

I did, but I won't tell them. I played with the beer in my glass for a while. "I don't know yet. Maybe Euri, or Shei."

The boys laughed. We're out in a bar tonight, after a tiresome practice of football. "What about you, Seb?"

He gulped another shot. "Seelie, maybe?"

Seelie. That bitch. I rolled my eyes and tried to not let the others see my expression. "Well, we should probably prepare for our annual Isabelle Lightwood's birthday party games, right?" I asked them.

"Hell yeah, we should!" the boys agreed as we all started to plot our little games.

* * *

I woke up with a searing headache.

"You're late for school," I heard a voice say.

I groaned and turned my head the other way. "Go away, Hodge," I said.

A sigh. "Your hangover must be that serious for you to mistake me for Mr. Starkweather," the voice replied and I sat bolt upright.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I tried to rub sleep out of my eyes. My head still hurts as hell. "Good morning, mom."

I turned my back to see my petite mom sitting on the bed, looking concerned. She rarely comes to wake me up and it's a shame to have her see me like this. I sheepishly smiled at her.

"You know you shouldn't be drinking during school nights," she started. "And besides, you're still a minor. How did you buy liquor?"

I tried to suppress the guilt that was starting to eat me out. "I'm sorry. The bar was owned by Sebastian's family so we were able to get some." I explained. No matter the situation, I could never lie to mom. After all that we've been through.

She just shook her head at me. "Alright. You should get going now, or you'll be late for school. Remember our deal, okay?" she said as she patted my head before leaving my room.

"Okay," I replied.

As I left for the shower, I checked my phone only to see that Shei had left me 20 messages and 10 missed calls. Can't blame her, though. I was supposed to pick her up for her early morning class. She surely is mad at me right now but I could only hope that she's not mad enough to not want to go to Izzy's party with me. Well, not that I don't have any more reservations.

* * *

"Next time, be sure to pass your homework on time, Mr. Herondale," Mr. Zachariah said as he put my paper inside his folder. "You're a smart boy but sometimes, you tend to be careless on your studies. I wish you would change that."

As if I care. I've always got this feeling that Mr. Zachariah has favoritism on me, I should be glad, I know, but sometimes it just gets annoying because he's acting as if he's somewhat of a guardian to me.

"Yeah," I answered as I went out of the room.

I bumped into a small figure. "Oh my god, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking." A voice mumbled. A smirk slowly crept its way into my mouth. "It's okay, honey." I said.

The person's head instantly snapped up and I was met by glaring green eyes. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"I don't remember me agreeing," I retorted."And besides, it's you who bumped into me. Well, I should have known that you can't resist me."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Before I could say a comeback, she hurried past me. That girl. For the short time that I know her, and for the few moments we shared, she never failed to amuse me.

"Jace!" Someone shouted. I turned to see a tall blonde heading my way. "I missed you," she said as she wrapped her hands around my neck. "I haven't seen you in days. Where have you been?"

I smiled sweetly at Euri, acutely aware that some of Shei's friends might be watching our scene right now. "I missed you, too, baby. But I have a history class to attend to," I said as I gently removed her hands around my neck.

She pouted before pecking me on the lips. "Call me."

"Yeah," I assured. "Bye!" I then proceeded to make my way towards history class, which I'm actually glad that I'm taking because I didn't have to lie to Euri about.

* * *

"You were late again, Jace," Sebastian said as we exited our history class. "Got caught in another heated moment?" He smirked.

I returned his smirk. "You could say that."

A chuckle. "Up for some practice?" He asked.

My expression fell. "I was late," I said.

"Oh right, strict teacher problems," Seb said. "Enjoy your detention, dude."

"You're lucky you're my friend," I teased as we settled down on our usual table in the cafeteria.

"Hey, M, you're early today, huh," Seb said as our friend "M" arrived at our table.

"Yeah, Luke dismissed us early," he replied and we all snickered at his lack of informality.

"I'll get the food," he volunteered. "What do you guys want?"

"Coffee for me," I said.

"Really?" asked M.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Detention's going to be boring and I won't risk getting it extended by falling asleep."

He and Sebastian laughed. As they talked about Seb's order, I wandered my eyes around the cafeteria. For a minute, all I saw was a blur of familiar and unfamiliar faces. I did get a glare or two from my past flings and quite a number of flirty looks from girls. But in the end, my gaze landed on a now familiar small girl sitting by a table in the corner of the room with some nerd. Without knowing it, I have already stood up from my chair.

"Where are you going?" Seb asked.

"Somewhere nice," I replied before treading my way to the corner table.

I was met by an unhappy face. "What are you doing here?"she asked.

"Is that how you greet someone you are in debt to?" I replied.

Her forehead wrinkled. "I don't owe you anything," she said.

I snickered. "Really? For your information, you owe me one," I said. "If you didn't bring home with you my bag, I would have passed my homework on time."

Silence.

"Oh, sorry. I'm becoming bad in math. I mean, you owe me five. The first two - you know what they are for - and additional one for the other night, one for my bag and _another_ one for a while ago, when you bumped into me and caused me to come in late for a class."

She glared at me but didn't speak. However, the nerd beside her asked, "You were together the other night?" He looked at her incredulously.

She visibly reddened. "It's not what you think," she explained as her glare didn't leave me. Unlike most girls, glaring or frowning doesn't turn her into some horrible-looking monster. In fact, it makes her look cuter. "Come on," she said to the nerd as she carried her tray away.

She was already a few feet away from me but the nerd was still stuck in his chair. He was gaping at me. "What?" I asked, humored by this person's reaction.

"Why were you with Clary the other night?" he asked.

Clary. Right, that was her name that I had forgotten. I grinned at him. "It's none of your business, nerd."

"But I want to know!" he insisted but I had already turned on my heels.

"I don't care," I replied. "If you wanna know, ask her. You're not worth my time."

When I reached our table, Seb was looking at me with something in his eyes. "What was that?" he asked.

I looked at him and shrugged. "Nothing,"

"Really," M chimed in.

"Uh, huh,"

"Who was that girl, Jace?" Seb asked.

I turned to him. "One of my sources of entertainment these days."

That made them chuckle. "I knew it was not nothing," M said and Seb nodded his head as I sipped my coffee.

We were silent for a while as we focused on our food.

"I wonder who will be the hero of this year's bet," Seb said as he pushed his plate aside.

M shuddered. "I hope it won't be me again."

We laughed at that. "Dude, you were really funny last year. After receiving the task, you didn't seem to have enjoyed the party anymore."

M's face scrunched up. "That's why I'm hoping I won't be picked this time around. I want to enjoy the party this year."

"What party?" Someone suddenly asked beside us. I looked up to see a beautiful-legged person with long black hair standing by our table.

"Hello, there, Izzy," we all greeted the person.

Isabelle Lightwood only raised an eyebrow at us. "Were you guys planning something mischievous again for my party?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling at her.

Izzy shook her head. "You boys are unbelievable. I had always thought that it was the other guys from the football team who are the masterminds of your plays. I should've known it's the three of you."

Seb just grinned at her. "You know we love you, right?"

Izzy rolled her eyes. Before she could state a reply, the ringing sound of the bells echoed across the room. "I have to go," she started, "you guys behave on my party, okay?"

"We can't promise!" M shouted after her, earning a groan from her and a light laugh from us.

* * *

She is beautiful as always. Actually, "beautiful" is an understatement. There's not a word in the dictionary that is sufficient enough to describe her. As I quietly watched her, I leaned against the window, trying to hide myself in between the shadows. I looked at the clock. Eight minutes past seven. In two minutes, she would soon be preparing to leave. I returned my gaze to her. She has not stopped yet, and I can't tear my eyes away from her. Being herself, without a care in the world – this is the time that she is most beautiful.

A phone alarm went off and as custom, she started her daily routine before leaving. It took me seconds too long before I immediately stood up straight and went stalking away, leaving no evidence that I was outside the room.

When I reached the car park, I saw Mr. Luke Graymark heading towards his car while conversing with someone on the phone. "Okay, see you," he was saying. "I love you, bye."

I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness. "Good evening, Mr. Graymark," I mumbled as I went past him, veering towards my own car.

He looked surprised for a moment. "Oh, same to you too, Mr. Herondale," he said. "What are you doing here at school this late?"

"Detention, sir," I replied as I clicked a button which unlocked my car's door. "I'm going, bye," I said as I closed my door and revved my car to life.

As I drove past the school gates, I saw her walking in that manner that seems to erase everything around her. Even after she's many feet away, I stole a glance at her through the side mirror before returning my attention towards the road.

I turned on the radio and its music gave me a perfect background as I drove, with my thoughts still invaded by her.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

I would like to apologize for the very late update. School, school and school is keeping me busy. I'm sorry if this is also a short chapter. I hope you liked it though!

I would love to hear from you! Please leave a review :)

xoxo,

t.e.

P.S. Have you seen the new City of Bones cover? I think it's awesome! :D How about you?

P.P.S. Please pray for me on my upcoming long exam this Monday. Hehe.

[All Rights Reserved | February 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	5. Chapter 4

Arrhythmia

By: Tyrelle Elise

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hi.

I sincerely apologize for not updating for so long! As you see, after the long exam I was talking about on the previous chapter, I had another three with a quiz and some reports! So you, I was pretty much a zombie during the past two weeks.

I hope you all forgive me though.

So... here is the next chapter!

Enjoy ;)

**OOC**** Alert: **As you see, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a writer. So if you're expecting the characters to act the way they do in the TMI books, I'm sorry but I might have had failed you there.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments and its characters. It all belongs to our beloved author, Cassie Clare. The story's plot is mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 4: Red**_

**-CLARY-**

A red dress.

I looked inside the paper bag again.

A

red

dress.

"Simon, what's this for?" I asked as I looked up at a shy-looking Simon.

He looked down at his hands. "It's uh, my sister's once. I thought it would look nice on you. You know, at Isabelle's party."

A smile found its way on my lips. "You didn't have to," I said. _Clary, you liar – why won't you admit that you've been thinking about what to wear to the party for two days now?_

Shh. Shut up, conscience.

"Uhm. But please wear it? It would match your hair. And think of it as a thank you token for agreeing to go to the party with me," Simon said.

I smiled at him and closed the paper bag, putting it on the table beside my glass of juice. "Thank you," I said.

Simon smiled back. "Okay, I got to go now. I'll pick you up tomorrow?"

"Sure," I replied.

It wasn't long after Simon left when my lunch mate arrived. "Hi," I greeted.

"Hello," he replied. He eyed the paper bag on the table. "What's that?"

I was surprised that he asked. For the past days, all we did was greet each other with hi's and hello's, and then proceed to eat. We never really had a conversation. "It's a dress," I said.

"For what?"

"A party tomorrow evening,"

"Whose party?"

"Isabelle Lightwood," It was then that it dawned on me that I've never really seen my lunch mate around campus before. "You do know her, right?" I asked, testing him.

He seemed to think for a while. "Lightwood? You mean Lightwood Academy?"

I scrunched my forehead. "Yes. She's the daughter of the school's owner."

"I see," he replied. "That explains why anywhere I go, everyone seems to be making a fuss about a party."

I eyed my mysterious lunch mate for a while. "You're not studying here, are you?" I asked cautiously.

He chuckled. "I got caught."

So I've been spending my lunch for the past few days with an outsider of this school? So much for Lightwood Academy being open to everyone. "Who are you?"

There was a twinkle in his eyes but before he could utter an answer, his phone rang. "Sorry," he said. "I'd love to introduce myself to you but I have to get this call." He actually smiled at me. "Bye!"

Okay, that was weird. Who is he?! I watched as his back disappeared among the sea of people on the cafeteria and I was left there, sitting alone, wondering who my lunch mate really is.

* * *

"Can I have a second with you, Miss Fray?" Mr. Graymark asked as I was supposed to exit the classroom.

I turned to face my math teacher. "What is it, Mr. Graymark?" I asked.

"I just want to remind you that you failed the long exam, again. You do understand that it heightens the chance of you flunking my class, don't you?" He said.

I inwardly cringed. I knew it was something about my class standing. "I know, sir," I mumbled lowly. "But trust me, I am trying. I'm giving my best." I bowed my head.

I felt him study me for a moment. "Then I guess your best is not enough, Miss Fray," he said. "You can go now," he added and I immediately left the room without another word, thinking of what my Dad would say if I fail this math class.

"Oops, sorry!" I mumbled as I bumped into someone.

"It's okay," the person said and I looked up to see a dark-skinned girl with braided hair. She smiled at me. "The name's Maia," and extended an arm towards me.

I shook her hand. "Clary," I said.

"Nice to meet you, but I got to go," the girl – Maia – said. "Better be careful next time!"

As I watched the girl – Maia – go, I can't help but feel a little happy because it's a rare ocassion that someone exchanges names with me.

"Daydreaming of me, huh," someone whispered very closely to my ear. When my eyes finally focused, all I saw was a the tall physique of a guy walking like he owned the hallway... with a mess of golden blonde hair for a crown.

* * *

I can't breathe properly. The dress is a bit tight on me and I can't help but wonder how old Simon's sister was when she owned it. Looking at the mirror, seeing myself in a red dress and some black sandals, made me feel like I'm a different person.

Not to mention that I'm also a little bit nervous. The only parties I went to before are that of my closest friends in elementary school back to our hometown. And I'm sure Isabelle Lightwood's party would be one hundred and eighty degrees far from those parties.

Someone knocked on my door. "Clary, your boyfriend's downstairs to pick you up!" Jonathan shouted and I tried not to frown.

I decided to ignore his teasing. "Yes, I'm coming," I said as I grabbed my bag and left my room.

"He's outside," Mom said when I reached the living room. "Remember to take care, okay?" she said as she kissed me goodbye.

"Yes, mom," I said. "Thank you again for allowing me to go."

"No, problem, dear," Mom smiled at me. "Now go, it's impolite to make someone wait for too long."

"Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, dear!"

* * *

Everything is amazing. Every food tastes good. The resort was well decorated. The guests are beautiful and handsome.

I feel so out of place in this party. I'm not alone, though. As I predicted, only the "famous" ones in the school are enjoying this party and while looking around me, I saw some people who seem so bored, as if wanting to leave the place.

I looked down at the red-colored juice that coincidentally matches my dress. I rolled it around the glass.

"Not enjoying much, huh?" A boy's voice asked and I turned beside me to see the first person to show interest on me in this party since it seemed that Simon forgot about me the moment we were admitted inside the party venue.

My eyes widened in surprise? "You? What are you doing here?" I asked incredulously.

My lunch mate smiled at me. "Nice to see you, too," he replied.

I shook my head. "I... I don't understand. Why are you here?"

"I was invited," was all he said with a shrug.

I was about to interrogate him more when someone clapped him on the back. "Seriously?!" the person said loudly and I was glad that it didn't draw much attention. "You're back? Since when?"

Lunch mate laughed. "Calm down, Jace," he said and that explained why the newcomer's voice was familiar. Jace Herondale. What made me think that he wouldn't be here in the party? I should get away now.

"Calm down?" Jace asked. "Why am I supposed to calm down when... Oh. Hi there, sweetheart." He was looking at me with a smug smile on his face.

Shoot. The conceited guy saw me. "Hi," I replied tersely and I turned to go away when lunch mate spoke. "Wait, you two know each other?"

"No" I said the very same time Jace said yes.

That raised my lunch mate's eyebrows. I took the moment to speak before he could say anything. "I'll leave you two now."

"Leaving already, red?" Jace asked.

"Red?" I asked back.

Jace Herondale smiled at me. "I think it suits you, to be honest. What with your hair and dress. Not to mention you're as feisty as a flame," he said.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever," I said and hurriedly left him with my lunch mate who I'm now less interested in knowing.

_Just because he may be associated with Jace Herondale?_

Quiet down, conscience. Ugh.

I heaved a sigh and looked around me again. So far, all I've been doing in this party is to look around.

I want to go home now. I really should not have agreed to go with Simon. My time is just being wasted.

I was about to stand up to go find Simon when all the lights suddenly dimmed out.

"The real party is just about to begin," a voice announced around the place.

It was then that I knew I won't be going home anytime soon.

I'm stuck in this party with nothing but my dress.

**-End of Chapter -**

* * *

I have a thing for dresses so... here's the link to Clary's dress if you want to see it :) - ** /fngrlng247/status/573857816202637312/photo/1**

Hi :) I'm sorry if it's too short. And please forgive me if you ever find some errors with punctuation and spelling. I still hope you like it, though.

I promise I will try to update as soon as possible. And I will also try to make the chapters longer :)

Please be patient.

Again, reviews are very much welcome. I would love to hear from all of you.

God Bless you all! :)

xoxo,

t.e.

P.S. I have another long exam this coming Monday, please pray for me :D

[All Rights Reserved | March 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	6. Chapter 5

Arrhythmia

* * *

**Author's Note**

Finally. I have updated again. :) I'm just so happy today! Haha. It's the birthday of one of my k-idol crushes (boyfriends/husbands) and idk I'm feeling giddy while eating this cake I bought in celebration of his day. :)

Enough with sharing. How are you guys doing? I hope you all weren't stressed waiting for this chapter! Hehe.

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction, set in an alternate universe, with a different plot and obviously by a very different writer. So it is to be expected that the  
characters I borrowed from The Mortal Instruments _won't_ act the way they do in TMI here. TMI Jace is TMI Jace and Arrhythmia Jace is Arrhythmia Jace. Cassie's Clary is Cassie's Clary and my Clary is my Clary.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments and the characters from there that are present in this story. They all belong to the one and only, Cassie Clare. The plot however, and the extra characters that I added, are all mine.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 5: The bet**_

**-JACE-**

"The real party is just about to begin," Isabelle announced over the speakers and then the traditional lights off took place.

Not so long after, the spotlights turned on and all attention was brought to the make-shift stage in the center of the biggest pool. Izzy was already standing in the middle, smiling at everyone.

"Hello, everyone," she greeted. "Tonight marks another year in my life. And I thank you all for allotting your time to celebrate it with me. I'm finally seventeen and as you may have noticed, it is not my parents standing in front of you, as opposed to my past celebrations. This is because sadly, they weren't able to come here due to some important matters in Venice."

The crowd made an "aww" sound and I can't help but smirk at how easily Izzy can manipulate the emotions of others.

She made some nodding gestures topped with an appreciative smile. "But the good news is, someone just as important as them was able to make it here." A pause. "Everyone, may I present to you, my dearly beloved brother, Alexander Lightwood!"

There was applause and seconds later, I saw my best friend Alec on the stage with Izzy. That bastard. He didn't even give me a heads up that he was coming home. Is that what you do to your best friend that you haven't seen for years?

And what was he doing with Red a while ago? Do they know each other?

"Alexander... L-Lightwood?" someone stuttered near me. When I looked at my right, I saw a short girl with red hair, wearing a red dress, holding a glass of red juice.

Red.

Before I knew it, I was already making my way towards her. "Yes, dear. Any problem with him?" I asked, as I put an arm around her shoulder.

She non-so-gently removed my hand and glared at me. "What?" she asked. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Didn't I tell you that I never agreed?"

"Whatever," she replied. "Just leave me alone."

"How did you know Alec?" I asked, ignoring her request.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Alec," I said. "Alexander Lightwood?"

Her expression softened in understanding. "We've been lunch mates in school for the past few days," she mumbled lowly, as if she couldn't believe it.

Huh. Trust Alec to go spend his time with some strangers rather than going straight to his best friend. "I'm sorry to inform you but you cannot date my best friend."

Reddened cheeks and forehead wrinkled, she actually looked up at me. "What?!" she asked incredulously with a loud voice. A few people nearby looked at us. She automatically looked down in embarrassment. "What did you say?" she asked again, now in a hushed voice.

I smiled at her. "I said that you can't date my best friend."

"Who said anything about me wanting to date him? I don't even know him personally," she said.

Before I was able to give a comeback, everyone clapped their hands – a sign that Alec just finished whatever speech Izzy made him speak. Suddenly, I heard a voice coming towards us. "Jace!"

I turned my back toward Red and was faced by a pouting girl with overly curled hair and short black dress. "Shei," I greeted her with one of my irresistible smiles.

The pout never left her face. "I've been looking for you all around! Where have you been? I'm your date tonight, in case you forgot." She said as she crossed her arms.

I uncrossed her arms and took one in mine. "I'm sorry, honey, I was just meeting old friends," I said and turned to steer her away from seeing Red.

I was about to give her a good-bye smile but when I sneak a glance back at her, she was already gone.

* * *

M fisted his hand and repeatedly hit the table. "It's time for our game, dudes!" He announced excitedly. He's obviously drunk and I and the rest of the football team can't help but to be amused by him.

"Yeah, we know, and I hope you get picked again," Sebastian said to which M just grinned.

"Oh, come on," he replied loudly, "bring it on!"

We all chuckled. Sebastian then stood up and left for a while. When he returned, he was already wearing big strips of folded, colored papers. "Time to pick the lucky hero," he announced in a sing-song voice.

He turned to the person closest to him. "Pick one and don't open it yet," he said. He then proceeded to go around the table and it wasn't long until he was standing in front of me. "Pick one now, Jacey," he teased.

I smirked at him and pulled the flame-colored paper from his hand. I waved it in front of him before he turned to make M pick. He held up a black paper and said, "This last one's mine. Now, wait, don't open it yet."

We all waited patiently before Sebastian cleared his throat. "I have a confession to make," he said. Here it is – the apology part. "The game we prepared this year – it's boring. I'm sorry." Our teammates are all expressionless while M is smiling giddily. I just watched the whole scene. It didn't take for Sebastian to break into a devilish smile. "Here's the thing, there's a twist: there will be two fortunate winners!" To that, our friends cheered. "The paper with the morning star decides the winners!" Seb said as he put up his hands, readying for a countdown.

But before we had the chance to start the countdown, M interrupted us. "My sister's the one to help us this year! She's the one to put the stars!" He said which made us roll our eyes.

"Shut up, M," I said and played with the strip of paper in my hand, eager to open it. Will I be picked? If so, who am I going to compete against?

"One"

In my peripheral vision, I saw a person with a small stature pass by.

"Two"

Is that Izzy talking to a nerdy guy?

"Three"

Shei is flirting with another guy. Again. And she dares call me unfaithful.

"Jace," M nudged me. "Open yours now." It was then when I noticed that everyone is looking expectantly at me, some with smirks on their lips.

Shit.

I unfolded the red paper and I was greeted by a flaming, morning star.

* * *

"Talk about the game-makers getting into the game," August, one of my football teammates, teased.

I shook my head in disbelief. "I can't believe we both got picked," I said as I looked at Seb, who also can't comprehend the reality of our situation.

"To be honest, I was really shocked when I saw the star on my paper," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, enough with that," M interrupted. "Now on with the game..."

Seb shook his head and laughed. "I can't believe I got myself into doing a dare that is so overused."

"What is it?" Our teammates asked.

I sighed. "We have to pick a girl," I explained. "And whoever makes that girl fall in love with him first wins."

Our audience roared with laughter and I can't help but also laugh at the cliché bet. And it's so absurd because those bets only happen in stories and movies nowadays.

"And who's the lucky girl?" August asked.

I was about to say that either one of Sebastian and I could pick when Seb said, "HER" while pointing to a girl nearby.

Oh, Seb. Do you have any idea what you just initiated?

"So very red, huh," M remarked.

"And very unique," August added.

_And very familiar_, I added in my mind.

Sebastian turned to me. "Is she okay for you, Jace?"

"Yeah," I answered. "The game's on?"

"Uh, huh," he replied. "And may the better one win," he said as we fist-bumped.

Hello there, Red. I guess you would be seeing a lot of me from now on.

* * *

I watched her in her simple dress as she laughed with the few people around her. The familiar feelings just rushed into me without my permission again. I want to approach her, but I know that that would make her unhappy and uncomfortable. I want to grab her hand and take her somewhere to be alone with me but I know that would be improper. I want her but I know that it's wrong. Or is it?

"What are you staring at?" someone asked beside me and I didn't need to look at the person to know who it is.

"Nothing," I said. "What brought you here, Alec? Tired of your game of eating lunch with random people in my school without even seeing me once?"

My best friend chuckled. "So she told you," he said.

I faced him. "You still owe me an apology for not notifying me for your arrival," I said.

He made a face at that. "Where's your date? Aren't you going to deliver her safely back to her parents?" he asked.

"She left with some other guy already," I replied nonchalantly. "Not that I care."

Alec shook his head. "So Jace Herondale is still a playboy."

"And Alec Lightwood still sucks," I retorted and he lightly punched my arm.

I smiled at him. "I missed you," I said. "Seb and M are cool to be with but no one's better than my best friend."

"You do realize you sounded so unJace-like, don't you?" He said before breaking into a smile. "I missed my best friend, too."

The two of us continued to chat, catching up with the three years that we didn't see each other with me secretly glancing at _her_ every now and then. And when she finally left the party, it was only that I excused myself from Alec and told him I was going home.

* * *

"How was Isabelle's party?" Mom asked as I entered the living room.

"It was fun," I replied.

She nodded her head. "Did you give her my gift? Did you say I'm sorry for not being able to attend?"

"Yes, mom," I replied.

She looked at me. "Okay," she said. "Go on, go to your room now. But don't forget to get changed before sleeping, alright?"

"Yes," I said and I felt touched that my mom stayed up late to wait for me. Though I still don't understand why she wouldn't come to Izzy's party. She always seems to have an excuse. Every year. A groan escaped my lips as stretched my arms. It was then that I realized I was too tired to think over things.

I better sleep now, I guess.

After all, I have a game that I need to prepare for.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

So... the "mystery" lunch mate was... Alec! Ehe. I'm sorry if some (or all) of you were disappointed. Haha. I just thought I needed a creative way to introduce the characters. So I'm really sorry if your expectations weren't met.

And as expected, the bet is on! And I guess the real story is just about to begin :D

I hope you guys stay liked this chapter. I really tried my best to make it longer. And I hope you all would stay updated with the story :)

Like I always say, your reviews would be very much appreciated. I love hearing from you guys. And don't hesitate voice out your opinions, they encourage and inspire me to write more, to be honest.

Thank you for the time you spend reading this. I love you all.

.

.

.

.

And because I love you, here's a **sneak peek** on the next chapter!

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked hesitantly._

_"Do I look like I'm joking?" I asked._

_"N-No," he said. "Sorry."_

_"So... what now?"_

_"You can start in two days," he answered._

_"Got it," I said as I turned to leave._

_"Uh, Jace?"_

_"What?" I asked._

_"Thank you," he said._

_I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." Before he could say anything else, I immediately left the room._

_It was then when I realized that I have withheld long enough. With the swift movement of my arms, she was already against me in seconds._

_"Jace, what are you –"_

_I love her voice but I need her to stop talking. I did the only thing I could think of._

_I pressed my lips against hers._

* * *

Watch out for the next chapters :P

I'll repeat: I love you all.

xoxo,

t.e.

P.S. I want to thank everyone who prayed for me for my long exams. I was the top scorer in two of them! Thank you, honeys. God bless you all :)

[All Rights Reserved | March 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**

Apologies for the very delayed update School is killing me! :( And I hate it that most of the other students are already starting their summer break while I'm still halfway through the semester :c damn academic calendar shift! ;-;

Anyways, enough with the rants. Haha. Here's chapter 6 that I managed to finish. I hope you all like it! :D And yes, I also want to take all of you who gave a portion of your time to read this fanfic. You don't know how happy you're all making me. Thank you! xx

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story. 

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and the characters in it all belong to Cassandra Clare. I just borrowed them to give life to my imagination. On the other hand, the plot of this story all belongs to me, as well as the other created characters who weren't in TMI.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia  
**_

_**Chapter 6: A beginning and an end**_

**-JACE-**

"I have news," M announced excitedly as he joined me on our usual table in the cafeteria.

I sipped on my glass of iced tea. "What is it?"

"She's my classmate!" M said.

"Who's your classmate?" I asked.

"Who else, but lucky girl!" he replied.

Lucky girl?

M must have seen the expression on my face. "Seriously dude, you already forgot? How are you going to win over Seb?"

Oh. I see."Really?In Graymark's class?"

He nodded. "And I found out something," he said.

"And why would you tell me?" I asked.

"Because I'm still annoyed at Sebastian," he said. "Leaving me like that at Isabelle's party." He let out an irritated sigh.

I just shook my head at him. "So what are you waiting for? Spill the beans."

"Oh, right," he said, regaining his focus. "After class, I overheard the Graymark asking her to stay behind. So I kinda hid near the door and eavesdropped on their conversation." He was smiling proudly at me.

"And what did you gain, huh?" I asked impatiently.

"She's failing our class," he said. "Graymark highly recommended her to take tutorial sessions in the academy's Learning Resource Center."

Poor Red. "Is that so? Then what has that to do with me?"

"Oh, come on, Jace!" M said. "We both know you're a smart bastard. She could use some of your help."

Oh. What the hell, M?! "Are you suggesting that I apply as a tutor in that boring LRC place?!"

M flinched a little. "Calm down," he said. "I know that place is not our thing but come on, you could use it as an advantage."

I weighed the pros and cons for a moment. But I just can't see myself as a tutor, along with the school's top know-it-all. It's too absurd.

"You know you want to," M teased and I shot him a dirty look.

The opportunity is too tempting. I should probably take it before M changes his mind and sells the idea to Seb. "Hmm. I guess it won't hurt if I try, right?" I said.

"Yes!" M agreed.

"You know, it's kind of unfair to Seb," I commented after a while.

"What unfair?" he asked, looking rather confused.

"Why, that you're only helping me."

He let out a laugh. "When did I say that you're the only one I'm helping?"

"I thought you're still annoyed at him?" I asked, now confused at what M's up to.

He scoffed. "Yeah, I'm annoyed," he said. "But that doesn't mean I won't help him. Where's the fun if you're the only one I'll help, huh? It's only that I'm giving you the bigger help, that's all." A pause. "Well, I gotta be going now. See you."

Before I could say anything else, M already stood up and leisurely left our table.

I could only sigh at his retreating figure. That bastard.

* * *

"You... You what?" this guy, who I've been talking to for the past ten minutes asked me for the umpteenth time.

I tried not to sound annoyed. "I said I want to apply as a tutor in Math."

"Are you sure?" he asked, still in awe.

"Would I be here if I'm not?" I snapped, but immediately apologized afterwards.

"I mean," I said, trying to be nice. "I wouldn't waste my time here if I'm not serious in becoming a tutor, right?"

He smiled nervously. "Yes, yes, I get it." He said. "And I just checked your grades now. They're all good. Very satisfactory, to be honest. You're good."

_I didn't come here to be complimented on things I already know,_ is what I wanted to say. "Thanks. Does that mean I'm admitted as a tutor here?" Is what I said.

"Yes," he answered brightly.

For some moments, we just remained quiet. That is, until he fidgeted on his seat. "Um... Are you really sure you want to do this?" he asked again.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I asked, not bothering to hide my annoyance now.

"N-No," he said. "Sorry."

"So... what now?"

"You can start in two days," he answered.

"Got it," I said as I turned to leave.

"Uh, Jace?"

"What?" I asked.

"Thank you," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." Before he could say anything else, I immediately left the room.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," August laughed as we sat on the bleachers. "Jace Herondale, Lightwood Academy's star football player and well-known womanizer, a mentor in the LRC?" He bellowed in laughter. "Dude, please tell me this is a big joke."

I rolled my eyes at him."It's that guy's idea," I said as I pointed at M who was playing on the field.

"Huh," was all August's reply.

We remained silent as we watched our teammates play on the field. The semi-finals are coming soon and our team could really use some practice.

"Is that Shei over there?" August asked out of the blue, looking at the direction of the benches at the side of the school grounds.

I looked there, too, and indeed, it was Shei with her new guy. "Yeah," I replied.

"So she finally found someone who's willing to make time for her," August said and I just rolled my eyes at him.

"Someone who's willing to satisfy her dumbass needs, you mean," I retorted, which made him laugh.

I shook my head, sighing as I remembered the time when Shei confronted me – telling me that she hated me because I was always ashamed of her. Because I never kiss her in public but I let Euri kiss me. Because of this and that. So very demanding and insecure. Forever dissatisfied bitch. I can't believe we even lasted for a month.

As I trailed my eyes away from her, a now familiar figure appeared in my vision.

Red.

Or what was her name again? Charry? Casey?

"And there goes Sebastian," August whispered as he leaned in close to me, looking at the same direction I was looking. As he said, Sebastian was there, making himself comfortable beside her on the bench, after shortly asking if he could sit there.

"Sebastian – one," August said. "Jace – big, fat zero."

"Whatever," I mumbled as I tore my eyes away from Seb and Red.

So the game is really on, huh.

Wait for me, Red.

* * *

The clock says its nine minutes after seven and I'm in my usual spot, doing my favorite hobby – watching her play the piano. Moments passed and I heard the minute hand move. 7:10.

By custom, I should be leaving now as stealthily and as fast as possible. But this time, I willed my feet to not run away. I'm tired of running away, of hiding from my feelings. I'm tired of being a coward. I must face her now.

"Jace?" her soft voice broke me out of my reverie and when I shot my head up, I saw her hazel-green eyes staring at me, wondering.

The words I prepared abandoned me in an instant and all that I could do was to just stare at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

I didn't answer.

"Wait, how did you know I'm here at this time?" her beautiful voice is now laced with worry. "Have you been stalking me?" a little bit of suspicion now.

I took a deep breath. "I...I've been watching you for months now," I boldly confessed, looking straight into those beautiful and glass-like eyes.

She broke my stare and closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "Didn't I tell you to stop long ago?" she asked lowly, looking down at her hands.

"I'm sorry but -"

"But I can't like you back, Jace. I'm sorry," she interrupted.

I felt a tightening in my heart. "But Lily..."

"Miss Cowell," she corrected. "Didn't they teach you that in elementary school?"

She is scolding me.

My first love is scolding me just when I'm about to confess to her.

Not like this is the first time.

"Jace," she started again. "Please stop now. Try dating girls your age. I'm too old for you, and besides, we can't be together."

"You're only five years older!" I shouted. "Your excuses are just too lame, Lily," I said, shaking my head. "Why can't you just admit to yourself that you like me too?"

"Because I don't like you!" she responded with a half-yell and the aching in my chest intensified. "I never liked you that way, Jace," she said, now in a much calm and gentle voice.

All I could do was to stare at her with my eyes wide open.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You were always just a friend to me, a junior. And you still are," a pause. "I hope you would accept soon that it is only friendship that I could offer you."

"You know very well that I couldn't accept just your friendship," I mumbled bitterly.

"Maybe not now," she replied. "But soon. You will meet someone soon who could reciprocate your feelings. Who knows, maybe you've already met her." She tried to smile at me, a smile that was urging me to smile too.

I didn't return her smile. I didn't say another word as I turned my back to her.

"Jace?" she asked cautiously.

I acted as if I didn't hear her. All I could hear was the protests of my inner mind, telling me to not give up. Telling me to stop walking away from her.

Telling me to turn back and tell her how much I love her.

But I didn't listen to my mind. I began to walk.

Footsteps.

Corridors.

I stood at the entryway of the building. I waited and waited but she didn't come. She didn't come after me.

She didn't like me enough to come after me. She didn't care about me that much to want to know if I was alright.

At the moment, the world was so silent, as if echoing the emptiness I'm feeling inside.

It was then that I let the first tear fall.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

And it was kind of short.

Haha. Sorry for that.

I hope you'll all still wait for the next chapters. I love you all, my readers.

And yes, please kindly try leaving a review, I would very much appreciate them. Thank you :)

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | March 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note**

Late update again, I know. And I know you know that all I'm going to say is that I'm sorry. Well, I really am sorry. As you see, I also have a life and my hell week in school is coming and I'm slowly dying.

Anyways, the important thing is, I have already updated! :D Yay! Haha.

Also, I want to thank you all for the reviews and follows and favorites. :) Please continue on supporting this story :)

But before you go on and read chapter 7, I just want to say I'm sorry if some of you were confused by the last part of the last chapter. To cut it short, here's the thing: Clary is **not** the girl that Jace is in love with, the girl he had been watching. It is someone else. I'm sorry. But I hope I had at least made in clear with the readers who did not quite understand.

So... here's Chapter 7! Enjoy! :D

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer:The Mortal Instruments and the characters in it all belong to Cassandra Clare. I just borrowed them to give life to my imagination. On the other hand, the plot of this story all belongs to me, as well as the other created characters who weren't in TMI.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 7: New**_

**-CLARY-**

_Dear _,_

_I don't know why. But I have a feeling that you're stalking me. I may seem careless and all, but I'm not as naive as others see me. So please, stop following me around and pretending that we bump into each other coincidentally. I am starting to get creeped out._

_I-know-you-know-my-handwriting-so-I-won't-write-my-name_

* * *

I tried not to laugh as I read the letter once more. I was about to give it another run-down when it got swiped from my hands.

"Hey!" I whisper shouted. "Give that back to me."

Simon pouted as he carefully folded the letter. "You've read it enough times already," he said. "And besides, you're only laughing at me."

"I'm not," I said but my smile eventually gave me away.

Simon sighed beside me. We're currently in my usual table in the library, him trying to help me with our assignment in Trigonometry. I don't know why but lately, Simon and I have been spending a lot of time together.

"So... how did you get that letter again?" I asked him.

"It's the first thing I saw inside my locker when I opened it this morning," Simon explained. "I'm sure I was red as a tomato after I read it."

"How are you sure that that letter is from her?" I asked, trying to find a way to comfort him. "What if it's just a prank letter from some mischievous student?"

Simon shook his head. "No, Clary. I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure that this is from her. I know Isabelle Lightwood's handwriting by heart."

Geez. So Isabelle was right. She didn't need to put her name because Simon could tell it was her just by the handwriting. I was hoping the writer of the letter was wrong; I tried to ignore that part. But Simon. Oh, Simon.

I cleared my throat. "Well, how do you know her handwriting in the first place?" I asked.

He reddened a bit. "It's a long story and you wouldn't want to know," he said. "Anyways, back to my problem: what do I do now, Clary?" he asked me as he put his hands on his head.

"I honestly don't know, Simon," I said, feeling a little bit of pity leap towards him. "But all I know is that if I was Isabelle and I discover someone stalking me, I would also be creeped out."

Simon just shook his head again. "I can't believe I already messed up. I thought me greeting her on her birthday party was the start of something. I just had to be stupid."

I was at a loss of words. I rarely have guy friends, not to mention guy friends who have girl problems. "I really want to be able to help you, Simon," I said. "But I don't know what advice to give."

Simon smiled for the first time today. "I appreciate you, Clary," he said. "I guess you listening to me is enough help. You're a good friend," he said and I felt overwhelmed a little.

_Friend._

I smiled back at him and patted his hand.

"Anyway, did you already go to the LRC?" he asked.

"I did book a tutorial," I replied. "Actually, my first session is this afternoon."

"Are you excited?" he asked.

Excited? "I don't think 'excited' is the right term, Simon," I said. "More like nervous." I let out a slight laugh. "What if I don't get any good after the session? What if I will only get confused?"

"Stop thinking negatively, Clary," Simon said. "How are you supposed to improve if you don't even trust your capabilities of learning in the first place?"

I was silenced by what he said. What Simon said actually makes sense. "Okay," I said as I nodded my head and smiled at him. "Thank you, Simon."

* * *

He was already sitting there when I arrived. "Hi," he greeted as he put his phone inside his pocket. "Long time no see, Miss...?" His hand was stretched towards me.

"Clary," I suddenly blurted out without even thinking as I shook his hand and sat down across him.

"Nice to meet you, Clary, my name is –"

"I already know," I cut him off. "You're Alexander Lightwood, son of the owner of this academy."

He smiled at me. "Actually, I prefer Alec."

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Alec," I said. "But why are you here?"

"I'm going to start college in a nearby university next school year," he replied.

"No, what I mean is why are you here? As in here with me in my usual table at lunch?"

His forehead wrinkled. "I thought we're lunch mates. Friends, even."

"What? I'm sorry but I don't make friends with random people, even if that person is the son of the owner of the school where I go."

"Ah, so it was a one-sided friendship," he said.

I just gave him a shy smile as I took a bite of my sandwich.

"So how did you meet Jace?" he asked after some minutes of us eating.

My head shot up. "Jace?"

"Jace Herondale,"

I looked at my drink. "I don't know him."

"Really? But you two seemed to know each other at my sister's birthday party."

I sighed. "Okay, I lied. But all I know about him is his name and that he is a jerk."

"That I could agree with you," he said and I smiled a little.

"He annoys me, to be honest," I said and I wondered why I am telling him this when I know that he might tell on me.

"He annoys me sometimes, too," Alec Lightwood agreed. "But he's still my best friend."

Oops. I thought they were just friends or something. But uh-oh. He's best friends with Jace Herondale?!

His gentle laugh made me look at him. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't tell on you."

I smiled sheepishly at him. "Thank you." A pause. "Uhm, would you mind me asking a question?"

"Go on,"

"Uhh. I thought Jace Herondale's best friend is Sebastian Morgenstern?"

Alec Lightwood's face darkened. "That guy just wants Jace's popularity," he said bitterly. "I'm the real best friend."

I suddenly giggled a little.

"What?" Alec Lightwood asked, a little confused.

I shook my head. "Nothing. It's just... you reminded me of a little kid when you said that you're the real best friend."

He smiled. "A jealous kid who's possessive of his playmate?"

I nodded a yes. And we shared a laugh.

Alec Lightwood's eyes were smiling when he looked at me and said, "So are we friends now?"

"Yes."

And before we knew it, the clock struck one o'clock.

It's time for me to meet my tutor.

* * *

"Your tutor will come in a minute now," one of the members of the LRC told me as she left the room. I was half-hoping that when she walked with me to this room, she would also be the one tutoring me. She seemed nice and patient.

So who will it be? I hope that my tutor's a girl. It would be much, much comfortable. And I also hope that she'll be a patient one. Someone who would patiently repeat explaining the concepts I couldn't get in one try.

"Well, if it isn't Little Miss Red Haired," someone casually said beside me and I tensed.

That voice.

"What are you doing here?!" I asked as I whirled around to face Jace Herondale, who's smiling sweetly at me. "Didn't I – "

"Tell you that I never agreed?" he said. "And besides, do you own this place?"

I felt my cheeks redden. "Nope," I answered. "What are you doing here?" I asked again. Wait, is that a notebook he is carrying?

"Why, I'm here to meet with someone, I believe," he replied cockily.

"Someone to make out with?" I guessed, not bothering to hide the disgust on my face.

Hearing what I said made his whole face light up. "Actually, I was hoping we could add that to our activity."

I made a face at him. "That's gross. But okay, now go away, please?" I asked him, turning away.

"Fine, princess," he replied and I heaved a sigh of relief as I heard his footsteps retreating.

It wasn't long after that someone sat beside me and put a notebook on the desk. "Miss Clary Fray?" the person asked and I instantly turned to him.

"Didn't I tell you to go –" I was cut off when he put a finger on my lips, a sign for me to quiet down. It was then that I realized that some people were staring  
at us, _at me_, to be silent.

I put my head down. "What are you doing?" I hissed at the sitting ball of annoyance beside me – Jace Herondale. "That seat's reserved for my tutor," I said.

"Why, thank you," he said.

Is he this hard-headed? "I said that that chair is for my tutor, so if you would just kindly leave."

He lightly chuckled. "I didn't know you were this naive, Red," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if it isn't obvious yet, I am your tutor." He smiled at me.

_I am your tutor_.

Did I hear him right?

"What do you mean you're my tutor?" I asked, more confused than annoyed.

He wrinkled his forehead. "I'm afraid that's self-explanatory, princess," he said.

I sighed and looked around before turning my eyes at him. "No kidding," I said. "Seriously, Herondale, I need this tutorial session, so will you please just leave me alone?"

"If you really need a tutorial session, then why are you pushing your tutor away?" he retorted.

I took a deep breath. "Because you are not –" Before I was able to finish my sentence, he shoved a paper towards me.

The stub.

My tutorial reservation stub.

I snatched it from him. "Why do you have this?!" I whisper-yelled. "So you're a thief now?"

His golden eyes widened. "A thief?" he asked, incredulous. "Do you hear how ridiculous you sound right now?" When I didn't respond, he continued to speak. "I have this because _I am your tutor_. Why do you think I would waste my time here if I'm not to teach you?"

"To annoy me, maybe?"

He scoffed. "You do think highly of yourself, don't you? So you think I'd miss hours of hanging out with my friends just to be with you? I'm sorry but for your information, you're not really that worth of my time, princess." He smiled at me.

I just stared at him with loath at him.

"Don't look at me like that. Now if you would just calm down so we could start our session. Remember, my time is too precious to be wasted." He then sat comfortably beside me and opened the notebook that he dropped on the table.

I took a deep breath and adjusted my sitting position.

"Let's start?" he asked to which I just stiffly nodded.

And so the two hours of my Trigonometry lesson with Jace Herondale started.

* * *

"So the cosine inverse of sine 45° is...?"

"Pi over four,"

"Which is equivalent to the degree measure of...?"

"Forty-five,"

"And the sine inverse of cosine 60° is...?"

"Thirty degrees,"

"Which is just...?"

"Pi over three,"

Jace Herondale clapped slowly. "So it's easy right?" He asked.

I nodded slowly.

He stretched his arms. "I don't understand why you struggle with these problems. They're easy as _pi._" He smirked at his lame pun while I just twirled my pen on my hand.

"Why aren't you speaking?" he asked.

"I speak," I said. "I just answered your questions, right?"

He shook his head. "You didn't say anything besides blurting out the answers to my questions."

"I did ask you to clarify the things I didn't understand."

"Besides that,"

I just shrugged and continued to pack my things.

"So, are you satisfied with this tutorial session?" he asked.

"Yes," I mumbled lowly.

"I am a little disappointed, though," he said.

"Why?" I asked before I was able to stop myself.

He studied my face. "I was hoping we could still do the make-out thingy you were saying before our tutorial started."

Even though what he said is disgusting, and I really wanted to slap him for saying such things, I just pretended that I didn't hear him and put my bag on.

I heard him close his notebook. "Well, aren't you going to thank me?" he demanded.

"Thank you," I mumbled lowly, surprising him. "I appreciate your help. But I'm afraid I'm holding you back from your other activities. After all, your time's too precious to be wasted on someone like me, right?" I stood up from my chair. "Thank you, Mr. Herondale," with that said, I hurriedly made my way out of the room.

I don't know why but even though he had only been in my life for such a short time, and although I don't really know him, I have mixed feelings for him. Most of the time I hate him, but there are rare times when he actually entertains me with our exchange of words.

And the worst of all, I don't know why I kind of got hurt when he told me that I wasn't worth his time.

* * *

When I got home, Jonathan was sitting on the living room couch. "Cook rice and open canned goods," was the first thing he said.

"What? Why?"

"Mom and dad are out for dinner,"

My heart softened. It's so glad to hear that mom and dad are eating dinner together, even if it means that Jonathan would make me as his maid for the night. They really need a time together, since I noticed that lately, there's like a forming gap between them.

"Not together, you idiot," Jonathan's voice broke me out of my reverie. "Dad's with his workmates, mom's with a friend, as she said," he rolled his eyes at the last words.

I let out a disappointed sigh.

"Now go and prepare dinner, peasant," my brother said as he turned his attention back to the television.

I put my bag on the couch where he was sitting. "I'm not your peasant," I said as I sat beside him. "And besides, I'm too tired to make dinner, let's just eat outside."

Jonathan turned off the T.V.. "Too tired or too lazy?" he asked as he pulled out his wallet. "Seriously, Clarissa, you always grab every opportunity to get money out of my pocket."

I smiled. "I never said you should pay for my dinner! But thanks anyway, JC," I made a face at him as he cringed at the nickname that mom gave him.

He stood up. "Well, then what are you waiting for? I'm hungry,"

"Yes, yes," I said as I followed him out the door, and then locked the door and gate.

As we walked the streets to go to our favorite fastfood place, I can't help but smile. Well, mom and dad sure are having a gap between them but at least, my relationship with Jonathan is going good. If ever my parents' love can't make their gap disappear, maybe Jonathan and I can be bridges. What's the next most important thing to a couple besides themselves? Of course, it must be their children.

"If you're going to continue to smile like a maniac there, I suggest you stay away from me," I heard Jonathan said.

I pouted at him. "I hate you sometimes."

"I hate you all the time."

"Ugh."

"Don't 'ugh' me,"

"We're here!" I announced as I saw the entrance of our favorite fastfood place. "Let's go!"

As I was about to enter the place, Jonathan grabbed my arm. "Wait, let's just go somewhere else. It's too crowded here."

"What? I don't think so." I tried to peek at one of the windows but Jonathan veered me away, not before throwing a glare at one window.

"What's the problem?" I asked my brother even though I already sensed that he's now in a sour mood.

"Nothing," he replied. "I just saw someone I really hate in there."

I didn't speak because I didn't know what to say.

"How about here?" Jonathan asked me with a more calm voice. "Would you like to eat here?"

"Yes," I replied and then we both entered.

"What would you like to eat?" Jonathan asked.

"Hmm. Same as yours," I replied as I smiled at his annoyed face.

As I sat alone on our table, I bowed my head and played with my fingers, trying to remove the paint that won't leave the inside of one of my nails.

"Hi, princess. Goodbye," someone whispered as I felt a person pass by me.

It took me a few seconds too long to name that voice. "You –" My sentence was cut off because when I lifted my head, I saw no one near me, with the exception of a waiter.

What was that? I'm pretty sure I heard the whisper. And I'm pretty sure it's _his _voice. Or am I?

Gosh. Am I starting to hear Jace Herondale even when he's not around?

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

I tried my best, I promise. I'm sorry if this chapter is a disappointment. I promise that next time, I'll try harder to make better chapters.

I hope you still liked this, though. And thank you for your unending support to this story. I love you all. Please kindly try to leave a comment :) Also, I would appreciate it very much if you recommend this fic to your friends, too :D

That's all, bye :D

P.S. Just a heads up, it may take a long time before I update again. Sorry!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | April 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note**

Woops. Hi there :)

Sorry, it took me waaaaay too long to update. As I always say, school is keeping me busy. Anyways…

And before anything else, I just want to put something here. When I was scrolling through the reviews, one review caught my eye. It's the one by **Monickat2** [hi there! :) ] I just want you to know that what you said really lifted me up! Thank you very much. I'll try to stop underestimating myself and thank you, really for reading this story. I hope you'll stay with it.

And I do not just want to thank her. I also want to thank **all of you, my readers** who spend your time reading what I write. (lol this is looking like I'm writing the last chapter XD). I hope you all stay tuned. I love you all!

So here's Chapter 8!

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 8: Planned and Unplanned**_

**-CLARY-**

"What is wrong with you?!"

"Answer me!"

"Don't walk away from me like that!"

These are the sentences that woke me up. I looked at my bedside clock. It's a good forty-five minutes earlier than my usual waking time.

"Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern, I'm talking to you!"

Why is mom shouting at Jonathan? And at this early time of the day?

I carefully sneaked out of my room and before I set foot on the living room, I heard the main door of our house shut close with a loud slam.

"Mom?" I asked lowly as my mother turned her back to the door. Her green eyes were clouded with concern. She tried to smile at me. "You're up early today, Clary."

"I'm sorry," I said. "It's just, I heard shouting and I thought maybe something was wrong. What's the problem with Jonathan?" I asked carefully as we walked to the kitchen where she proceeded to continue making breakfast.

"Oh, I guess he just woke up in a foul mood," mom said.

She is lying, I could tell.

I decided not to push her. If she does not want me to know, then be it. I will trust my mother.

"Where's dad?" I asked as I realized that my father was nowhere to be seen.

Mom put a plate of eggs and hotdogs on the table. "He went out early to help with the preparations for the school fair."

So dad would rather help in the school than to eat breakfast with us? What's happening to our family?

"Clary," my mom's voice pulled me back to reality. "Let's eat breakfast now?"

I immediately adjusted my sitting position. "Hmm. Yup!"

As we ate, I can't help but notice that mom is deep in her thoughts. What was the real problem with Jonathan? And why won't she tell me? How about her relationship with dad? Are they close again now?

"Clarissa. Clarissa?"

I broke out of my reverie. "Yes? Were you talking to me?"

"Yes, dear. But it seemed like your mind was somewhere else."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

She smiled at me. "As I was saying, I bumped into Mr. Graymark yesterday. He told me you were not performing well in his class. Is that true?"

I reddened in embarrassment but I figured I should probably tell her now. "Yes, mom," I answered quietly. "I'm sorry but despite all my efforts, mathematics and I do not just really click well. I swear I've been studying hard." Before I knew it, I already felt heat behind my eyes as tears started to form.

I hate this. I hate this feeling of knowing that I'm a disappointment to my parents.

"Shh," mom moved to sit beside me. "It's okay, honey. I understand. I know you're doing your best. Don't stress yourself out. Maybe you could use someone's help?"

I blinked back my tears. "I did have a tutorial session yesterday," I said. 

"That's good, maybe you should have more sessions like that," mom said as she gave me an encouraging smile.

I nodded. "Yes, mom."

* * *

I was at my usual spot in the school ground, trying to sketch. Maybe if I present dad with my works, he'd finally let me take Fine Arts in college.

"Nice drawing, huh," I heard someone say beside me. When I looked at my right, a tall boy with a mop of pale blonde hair was standing near me while looking at my sketchbook.

I closed my sketchbook in reflex. "I-It's you again," I mumbled lowly.

He sat down beside me and I moved a little to the left. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he said. "I was just strolling around and I thought you looked familiar."

"I-It's okay," I stuttered. _Stupid heart_.

"You can continue drawing now," he said kindly. "Please don't mind me."

I nodded my head and opened my sketchbook. I tried to concentrate and continue my drawing but I can't help but get distracted by him – Sebastian Morgenstern. Last time I was sitting here and sketching the football players practicing on the field, he just came and asked if he could sit with me. We exchanged names and talked until he said it's his turn to play on the field. I thought it was just a onetime thing, but now? This is overwhelming. He is a part of the famous ones and he is spending his time with the likes of me? And he even complimented my drawing. Not to mention that he is – 

"Why are you not drawing?" he asked.

I took a deep breath as I realized he was staring at me curiously. "I, uh, I just can't seem to capture the picture I want," I said.

He leaned towards me and looked at what I have already sketched. "This seems good," he said. "Hmm. Maybe I'm a nuisance? Am I making you uncomfortable that you can't draw well?" he asked bluntly.

"No!" I answered too quickly. "I-it's not that." I closed my sketchbook. "Maybe I just need to find a new scene to draw."

His face suddenly lighted up. "Would you consider taking me as a model?" he asked.

WHAT?

I just stared at him like he's a piece of art that I can't decipher. We have only talked thrice and he barely knows me but here he is, offering himself to be my model. Sebastian, _the_ Sebastian Morgenstern, volunteering to be my model? I must be dreaming.

"Well?" he asked, breaking me out of my reverie. "Do you accept my offer?"

I know I should say no. He's one of Jace Herondale's friends and if I want to stay away from him, I should not be spending time with his friends.

But chances like this rarely come.

"Yes," I said lowly. "I'd like to. Thank you," I said.

_Stupid heart._

He smiled at me. "So when should we schedule it?"

I bit the end of my pencil. "I don't really know. You decide."

He seemed to think for a while. "How about on Monday at this same time? Is that okay?"

I nodded. "Sure."

He stared at me for a while. _Stupid heart_. "Okay, now I've got to go. See you!" With that said he left me sitting there, watching his form go away from me.

_Stupid heart_.

Why did I agree? He's Sebastian Morgenstern! He's a famous person! He attracts unwanted attention. He's Jace Herondale's friend. He doesn't hang out with the likes of me. He doesn't know me. He doesn't like me. He doesn't remember me.

But I do. I do like him. I do remember him. He may have forgotten about me but I do remember him.

Why should I forget him when he's the first boy that gave me the feeling of having butterflies fluttering in my stomach?

* * *

Kristoff was typing on his computer. "So you're saying you want to book a tutorial session again?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "The first one really helped me and I think I should have more."

He pointed to a stack of papers. "Then get a slip there and fill it up," he said.

As I writing on the slip, a thought crossed my mind. "Hey, um, can I ask something?"

"Sure,"

"Can I, like, choose who I want to tutor me?"

"Why, did you like your first tutor? Do you want him to tutor you again?"

I reddened. "No," I said abruptly. "I mean, can I choose who I _don't _want to tutor me?"

Kristoff removed his eyes form the computer screen. "Why?" he asked, confused. "Did he harass you or something?"

"No, no," I said as I waved my hands frantically. "I just…" I trailed off as I found no way to tell him that I don't like my tutor. "Never mind," I said as I tried to smile at him.

He looked at me for a second before shrugging and returning his attention to the computer.

I sighed. I could only hope that Jace Herondale won't be my tutor again.

* * *

I watched as he took a bite off of his pizza roll. After chewing for a time, he seemed to notice me watching him. He gulped down his juice. "What's the problem, Clary?" he asked, addressing me by my first name, which took me by surprise because we've just been friends.

I shook my head. "I don't get it," I said. "Why waste your time here in the campus spending time with strangers when you could actually go forth and do productive things while waiting for college?"

He stared at me for a moment. "Why, am I bothering you now?"

"You do realize sometimes you sound like Jace Herondale."

Alec Lightwood chuckled. "He's my best friend. And besides, why do you keep on saying that I spend time with strangers when you're not a stranger? We just became friends, remember?"

"I do. But it's just weird because you're the son of the owner of this academy while I'm just no one in the campus." I looked down and stirred my drink.

"Hey!" Alec said. "You're not just no one here."

A shrug of my shoulders.

"You do matter. I like you, actually," he said.

That touched my heart. But I can't help to feel that being friends with Alec Lightwood is a bad idea. And it's not just because he is Jace Herondale's best friend.

"No comment?" he asked when I didn't say anything.

"Umm… thank you, I guess?"

"That's all?"

"I don't know. I just have a feeling that you're supposed to hate me in another world."

He laughed. "Now I know why he talks about you sometimes," he said.

That caught my attention. "_Who_ talks about me sometimes?"

Alec smiled at me. "You know, my best friend."

* * *

"So you're telling me Sebastian Morgenstern volunteered to be your model on Monday?" Simon asked me for the fourth time today. 

I put my phone on my left hand. "Yes, Simon, he did," I replied. I don't know when it started but my friendship with Simon really is blossoming. We're now even exchanging phone calls. And since he's the closest thing I could have for a best friend, I have decided to tell him of my long time ago crush on Sebastian, just so I could contain my feelings at the moment.

"You're lucky!" Simon said over the phone. "How I wish I was as talented as you in arts. Maybe I could ask Isabelle to be my model too."

I laughed. "You wish, Simon!"

I could tell he pouted. "You'll see. Maybe I'll just try composing a song for her. What do you think?"

"That would be sweet," I said. "But do you even know how to sing?"

Simon scoffed. "Of course I do! Did I forget to mention to you that I'm actually starting a band?"

"What? Why did I only hear of this now?"

He laughed. "Maybe because you were too busy spending time with Sebastian Morgenstern. Or your tutor in math. What was his name again? Oh, yes. Jace Herondale."

Jace Herondale.

"_Now I know why he talks about you sometimes."_

"_You know, my best friend."_

Alec Lightwood's voice played on my mind again. Is there any truth to what he said? If it's true, then why would _he _do that? If not, then why would Alec make up a lie? And should I or should I not be happy that _he _is talking about me to his best friend?

"Clary?" Simon's voice called through the speakers. "Are you still there? I was just joking, you know that right?" His voice sounded concerned.

I cleared my throat. "Oh, yes, yes, I'm still here. I just had to do something," I excused.

"So as I was saying," Simon continued, "Maybe the first song of my band should be dedicated to Isabelle."

"Simon," I said in a warning voice. "That's honestly sweet and all but I think Isabelle Lightwood would take it in another light. She may not be happy about it. Remember, your stalking issues with her." I reminded him. 

There was a long silence on the other line before Simon replied. "You have a point there, right." A sigh. "I wish I never did that. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done."

"Haha," I mocked. "Stop exaggerating. Now, think of another way, a non-creepy way, to be able to make friends with her, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Simon replied.

We continued to talk for hours.

* * *

"I'll give you thirty minutes, okay?" he said.

I scrunched my nose. "How about forty-five minutes?" I asked.

Jace Herondale chuckled. "I get it that you want to spend more time with me, sweetheart, but my answer is no."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't care about your delusions, but I want a longer time to answer this." I held the piece of paper where the exercise questions are written. "How do you expect me to answer this in half an hour?!"

"The problem is yours, darling," he replied. "Learn to manage your time."

I tried not to glare at him. "Just admit it, you're just too lazy to teach me. Why apply as a tutor here if you're not going to do your responsibilities?"

Jace looked at his watch. "You better start now, honey. Time's running." He pulled out a phone from his pocket. "And to make it clear, I am teaching you. It's just that  
my mode of teaching is different."

I took a hold of my pen. "Why does it have to be you?" I mumbled lowly so that he wouldn't hear. Of all mentors in the LRC, why does it have to be Jace Herondale again?

"I heard you, dear," he said as he slouched on the chair, which made me feel embarrassed a little. "Go ahead and answer that already. I still have to discuss that to you." 

I sighed for the last time before proceeding to answer the questions.

**[ONE HOUR LATER]**

"So, that's it for today," Jace Herondale said as he stood up. "Did you enjoy this Saturday morning with me, dear?"

He can be nice sometimes, really. If only he would stop calling me endearments that I don't like. "I did learn a lot. Thank you," I replied as I also stood up and put on my bag.

Jace eyed me for a while. "Eat lunch with me," he suddenly blurted out.

I blinked at him. "What?"

"I said, eat lunch with me."

"Why should I?"

"As your thanks to me for tutoring you."

"Wait there. Yes, you did help me. But no, I won't treat you for lunch."

He chuckled. "Who said you would treat me for lunch? I just asked you to eat with me. I never said you'd pay."

Hearing that, my cheeks reddened a little. "I still won't."

Jace just shook his head and took my bag. "Didn't I tell you before that I don't take 'no' as an answer?"

And before I knew it, I was sitting beside him inside his car, on the way to God knows where.

Oh dear. I'm going to eat lunch with Jace Herondale. God bless me with all the kindness and patience in the world.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

I hope you liked it :)

Remember to leave a review! ;)

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | May 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note**

Tada! You're surprised, aren't you? I have updated earlier than usual! :) Hahahaha.

I have a confession to make: I'm confused. I'm having an internal conflict right now because I want many different versions of how this story shall continue

Anyways, as always, I want to thank all of you who have favorited, followed, and commented on this story. You all motivate me to write more, and write better. I hope you also recommend this fanfic to your friends :)

AND.

I have an _**announcement**_: _I will be having a cover image contest for this story. Anyone can participate. All you have to do is to draw or edit a photo that would best fit as the cover image of this story. The winner will get a sneak peek on the next three chapters after the announcement_ (so it's probably chapters 10 &amp;11) _ and there will be at least 2 people to win a consolation price of a sneak peek on one chapter_. _Just tweet your submissions to me at__** fngrlng247**__ with the hashtag __**#arrhythmiacovercontest**_:) _The deadline is on __**May 16**__ :)_

And because I love you, here is chapter 9!

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 9: Compliments and Help**_

**-JACE-**

"Have you picked your order yet?" I asked Red, who's sitting across me inside Grumpy Doe.

She sighed as she scanned the menu. She's obviously annoyed that I managed to bring her to eat lunch with me here. But I don't care. If I want to win the bet, I have to spend time with her.

Step one in making a girl fall in love with you: be friends with her.

I tapped my fingers on the table. "We don't have all day, princess," I told her.

At that, she looked up at me. "Who forced me here? I was supposed to go home and eat lunch with my family," she said. When I didn't say anything, she said, "Just spaghetti and a pizza slice. Iced tea, too." And then she looked down at her fingers on the table.

I then called a waitress, who immediately came to attend to me. After I gave her our orders, I winked at her, which sent her going with reddened cheeks.

Red, who had witnessed what I did, said, "Do you really need to flirt with every girl you meet?"

I looked at her innocently. "I just winked at her, you call that flirting?"

"If it's not flirting, then what is it?"

"Fan service, maybe?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fan service? What are you, an idol?"

I thrust out my chest. "I'm pretty famous, that I'm aware of. And besides, I know I'm attractive."

Red shook her head. "You are so full of yourself."

"If I'm not attractive, I won't be able to bring you here," I said, looking in her eyes.

She looked away. "You were only able to bring me here because you're annoyingly persistent. I bet that as a child, you were a very spoiled one."

You know nothing, Red.

"Just admit it, persistent or not, you still won't come with me if you're not attracted to me even a little bit."

She didn't say anything and I know it's because what I said was true. Not wanting our conversation to end, I started, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot me," she said. "Whether I say yes or no, you're still going to ask me anyway."

I almost smiled at what she said. We really don't know each other and yet she knows what I will do. "If you're such a nerd, then why are you failing at math?" I asked her.

She looked at me with her emerald green eyes. "Not just because I'm a nerd, it means that I know everything," she explained and it actually amazed me that she didn't deny that she's a nerd, unlike what any other girl would do.

I just nodded my head. Slowly, I leaned towards her across the table and she froze in place, her eyes widening. "W-what are you doing?" she stuttered and good God, the effect I have on her is so obvious.

Red squeezed her eyes shut but didn't move. Moments later, when she felt that I have leaned back on my chair, she opened her eyes and blinked many times. "Hey," she said, pointing to her eyeglasses that was in my hands. "Give that back to me!"

I showed her my right hand. "First, how many is this?" I asked while wiggling my fingers.

She let out a sigh. "Five, duh," she said. "Why do people think that when we don't have our glasses, we lose our ability to count? Our vision just gets blurry, that's all!" she said and I could say that she was annoyed.

I tried not to smile. "Woah, calm down there, princess," I said. "I was just kidding around. And besides, I just wanted to see how you would look like without your glasses."

She inhaled and exhaled. "And now you've seen me," she said. "Now give me back my glasses."

"You look prettier with your glasses off," I suddenly blurted out without thinking.

A blush immediately made its way to her cheeks. "S-sorry b-but your tricks won't work on me," she said. "You may get any other girl with your flirty and meaningless compliments but make me an exception," she added, more stable now.

I just chuckled at what she said. Here I am, carelessly giving my honest opinion and she dismisses it. Here she is, getting told that she's pretty but she doesn't believe it. This girl never fails to amuse me.

Before I could say anything more, the waitress returned with our orders. Red stretched out her arm towards me and I didn't have any choice but to give her back her glasses.

Silently, we started to eat our lunch and I can't help but to sneak glances at her. It's obvious that she's not like other girls out there – easy to fool and easily falls. To accomplish the bet and make her fall for me will really be a challenge. Good thing that I like dealing with challenges.

"Why are you staring at me?" Red's voice made me realize that I had started to stare at her.

"There's spaghetti sauce on your lower right cheek," I said.

She instantly blushed and used a tissue to wipe her cheek clean. She looked at me, asking if there's any left.

"You're clean as can be, princess," I said.

Before she could utter a reply, the chimes by the door clinked and in came what looked like a couple, with the woman's hand linked with the man's. The two of them looked so happy, until the girl's eyes locked with mine. She immediately looked away.

Lily.

Is this why she won't accept my love, because she already has someone else?

The two of them went to a table by a corner far from us.

Red, who also watched the two of them, turned to me and said, "Isn't that the new music teacher? I heard she's a fresh college graduate and that a lot of students actually have a crush on her."

Crush on her all they want, but I'm different. I love her and I have known her longer than most of them. They should just back off.

I noticed Red looking at me curiously because I haven't spoken for a while. I cleared my throat. "I don't know. The teachers in the academy are the least of my interests."

She looked at me for a minute as if contemplating what to say. She didn't talk further and continued to eat what's left of her food. I, on the other hand, just sat there and secretly watched Lily and the guy being together. He looks older than her. So she's into older guys?

I felt a finger softly poking my arm. I looked at Red. "What now? Want my attention for dessert?"

She pointed at my plate. "Aren't you going to finish that?"

"I lost my appetite. I'm not hungry anymore," I replied. "We better get going now."

As we went out, I took one last look at the couple at the corner table.

* * *

"And where are you taking me now?" Red shouted as I drove through the streets.

I pretended that I didn't hear her over the loud speakers blaring.

"Hey, you," she tried again. "Where are you taking me?"

I continued my pretension.

As my car stopped due to traffic, so did the song that was loudly playing on the radio. I looked at Red whose arms are crossed. "Why did you turn it off? It was such a good song!"

"Why? So you could actually hear what I've been trying to ask you for some minutes now!"

"Oh," I said in pretend-understanding. "I'm sorry, dear. Now what were you asking?"

"I was asking where in the world you are taking me because as far as I know, this isn't the way to my house." She looked at me suspiciously.

I feigned surprise. "Oh, I thought we're on a date, princess. As to where we're going, I believe the destination is my house."

She groaned in frustration. "Don't you dare use your tricks on me, Herondale. I could really kill you right now. Now take me home."

"I don't remember ever volunteering to be your personal driver."

"If you won't, then I'm getting off this car."

As she motioned to open her door, I grabbed her arm. "We're in the middle of the road. If people see you getting out, what would they think?"

"They'd think and they'd know that you're a jerk."

"No, princess. They'd think that this is one of the classic drama fights that couples have. For all I know they would all be watching us with dreamy eyes and ask you to just forgive me, your very loving boyfriend."

She looked at me with disgust. "That's never gonna happen."

"Never, if you don't get off my car."

With that, she removed her hand from unlocking the door and just slumped down on the seat. The car in front of me moved and so did I.

We stayed silent for a while. I have no idea what she is thinking but my mind is preoccupied with one thought that has been bugging me ever since we left Grumpy Doe: _Lily_.

It's been days since that night when she rejected me for the fourth time but the memory is still with me. The memory still brings me pain. And seeing her smiling and laughing with the guy was like a cup of salt being poured on my wounds. The pain is slowly killing me.

All of a sudden, a beep was heard in the car. I saw in my peripheral vision that Red brought out a phone from her bag.

Traffic's power was felt again when the car in front of me stopped. I looked at Red. "Who's that, sweetheart? One of your nerd friends?"

She returned her phone in the bag and looked out the window. Slowly, she said in a low voice, "Please, Jace Herondale, do me a favor just this once."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Will you take me to the hospital?"

* * *

_Jace, where are you?_

_Jaaaace, you're supposed to go shopping with me!_

_Are you with your other women again?_

_You promised me that Saturday afternoon is for ME and ME ONLY!_

_Why won't you reply to my messages? Why won't you answer my calls?_

_YOU'RE IGNORING ME, HUH? FINE! WE'RE OVER!_

I scrolled through Euri's messages to me during the past thirty minutes. Right, how could I forget that I have a date with her today?

The room's door opened and Red came out with a woman who has the same hair and eyes as her. She must be her mom. "How is he?" I asked.

She shook her head slowly. "The doctors are still going to run tests on him. The injuries he incurred in the accident were quite lethal," she replied. And noticing that the woman with her was looking at me, she hastily said, "Mom, this is Jace Herondale, the one who tutored me this morning. Jace, this is my mother."

After she introduced us, Red excused herself to the restroom.

I bowed at Red's mom. "Nice meeting you, Ma'am. I hope your son will be alright soon."

She nodded her head at me. "Same to you, too. And thank you for taking Clary here to the hospital."

"You're welcome," I replied. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to get going. Can you please tell your daughter I said goodbye?"

She nodded. "Sure. Again, thank you. Drive safely, okay?"

I nodded to that and then left.

I still need to deal with Euri.

* * *

"So… how's the bet going?" M asked as we sat on the bleachers, resting while watching the second batch of our teammates play on the field.

"Hmm… I believe it's going good." I snickered and so did he.

M stretched his arms. "Ahh. It's Monday and we have to practice? Football is demanding, isn't it?"

I chuckled at that. "Yeah. But the semi's are coming this weekend. We sure need a lot more practice."

"I wonder how you manage to divide your time and energy."

"What?"

"How's your thing with… what's her name again? Yura? Yuuki?"

"Euri" I sighed. "It's over. She broke it off yesterday."

"Really? What did you do this time?"

"The usual. I forgot we have a date on Saturday. So I went to her house on Saturday night and, you know… anyways, as I was about to leave the next morning, she said that we're really over. That she only wanted to spend one last night with me." I shook my head. Girls.

"One last taste before I let you go~"

"Shut up," I said. "Anyways, where the hell is Sebastian?"

At that, M smirked. "He said he has an important appointment with someone today."

"Really," I said. "Who with? The Seelie bitch?"

"No, dude. He said he's about to make someone fall for her hard."

Red.

I took a gulp in my water bottle. "I see he's also on the move."

"Of course he is," M replied. "He's just as determined as you are to win the bet."

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Did you miss Jace's POV? I did. Hahahaha. Though I still struggle on writing Jace POV's because it's so hard to make it sound like Jace. So… I'm sorry!

Anyways, did you like the chapter? I hope so :) Please kindly leave some reviews. I could really use some suggestions on how to make the story better. Thank you! Xx

Oh, also… just a reminder: please participate in the cover image contest for this story. Remember, the winner gets a sneak peek to the next 3 chapters! :)

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | May 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note**

Just a warning to all of my readers: I'm going to kind of quicken up the pace of the story a bit. I think it's necessary because I realized I've been putting (irrelevant) scenes that are dragging out the pace of the story. I think some of you may not be happy with it so I am, in advance, saying sorry.

I hope you'll all still stay tuned to this story, though, because I love writing knowing that there are actually readers waiting to see what happens next.

As always, thank you very, very much for supporting this story. I love each and every one of you!

Anyways, it looked like no one was interested in the cover making contest :( so I made one myself XD

Here's chapter 10! :D

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 10: Deals and Promises**_

**-CLARY-**

He hasn't woken up yet. It's been almost two days. "I have to go to school now. I'll see you this afternoon, okay? You should be up and about then or else I'll kick you hard." I held my brother's hand and my voice softened. "Oh, Jonathan, what did you do? Please wake up now."

I've been in a state of worry ever since I received the message from mom saying Jonathan was rushed to the hospital after a road accident which resulted with his motorcycle to be under a not-so-small truck. Ever since then, my brother has been in a state of coma.

I want him to wake up. I want to talk to him. I want him to share to me whatever burden he is carrying. I just know he has some problems; he didn't even go home on Friday night. And when we talked to his friends about him, they all just said that he didn't want to talk and only went to them to have fun and drink some beer.

"Wake up," I whispered as I squeezed my brother's hand, hoping that it will wake him up.

"Clarissa?" I heard dad's voice by the doorway. "You have to leave for school now or else you will be late."

I looked at my father whose eyes are dark with big eye bags. He hasn't slept and rested ever since Jonathan's accident. "Okay dad. Please call me if anything happens."

I squeezed Jonathan's hand once more and stood up from my chair. I gave my father a goodbye kiss on the cheek and then took one last look at my brother before exiting the room.

* * *

"So we'll have a quiz about the Solutions of Oblique Triangles next meeting," Mr. Graymark reminded the class before finally dismissing us, ignoring the groans of complaint from my classmates.

As Simon and I were leaving the room, Mr. Graymark called me and I motioned Simon to go ahead. "What is it, sir?"

"I just wanted to check on your brother. Is he okay?" he asked concernedly.

"Uhh. He's okay, sir," I replied. I thought for a while. "Uhm… This may sound rude, sir, but how did you find out about his accident?"

He didn't speak for a while. "I have a friend who works in the hospital. It just so happened that when I went to visit him, he was tending to a patient. And I was surprised when I saw that his patient is one of the best students I ever had."

I nodded and left the room. _One of the best I ever had_. There it goes again, the comparison. I thought that Mr. Graymark already got over his habit of comparing me to my brother. Turns out I'm wrong.

"_When I handled Jonathan, he was always reciting, always gets the highest score in exams, always volunteered to answer problems his classmates couldn't, he always excelled. Now look at your performance in my class."_

"_Why can't you be like your brother, Clarissa?"_

"_You still live under the same roof right? Why don't you ask your brother for help?"_

"_I was always so proud of your brother's performance. You, on the other hand, you disappoint me."_

The words that Mr. Graymark had said to me when it became evident that I'm poorly performing in his class replayed on my head again. I know those words were supposed to motivate me to work harder but in the end, I only got hurt. And the pain that his words have caused me had made me realize one thing that I have always kept a secret: I do not like Mr. Lucian Graymark.

* * *

I stared blankly at my chicken sandwich as I let the world pass around me.

"You look sullen today," someone said as I heard the sound of a chair being pulled out and pulled in.

"I am in no mood to talk, Mr. Alec Lightwood," I mindlessly replied.

"You know, we should really cut it off with the formalities," he said. "Just call me Alec."

"I am in no mood to talk today, Alec. Please go away," I said.

He seemed to examine me for a while. "You look seriously stressed."

I didn't reply. Any day is fine but for now, I am not in the condition to entertain a bored guy who's waiting for college.

"You can tell me your problems, you know," Alec attempted to start a conversation again.

I just looked at him.

"I promise I won't tell Jace," he offered with a smile.

_Jace._

That made me sat bolt upright. "Where is he?" I asked all of a sudden.

Alec was confused for a moment. "Wait there. Woah. So Jace's name is the magic word?" he looked at me suspiciously.

I sighed. "Whatever it is you're thinking, you're wrong" I said. "I just need to tell him something. So where is he?"

He appeared to think for a while. "You said so. Sadly, I am not my best friend's keeper and I don't know his class schedules. One thing that I'm certain of, though, is that he'll be with the football team at the field, at the usual time that they practice during afternoons."

I quickly gulped in the information. "Thank you, Alec," I said, smiling at him a little.

His face brightened. "Now that's a smile!" he exclaimed. "You're welcome. What are friends for, right?"

We just shared a brief laughter before we continued to eat our lunch.

* * *

_So, do I just approach him?_

I sent the sms to Simon and impatiently waited for his reply.

A beep.

_How are you going to talk to him if you're not going to approach him?_

I looked at the screen before typing my response.

_But… he's with the football team! They're all boys! And besides, I know he has some stalkers watching him secretly. What if they see me and decide to bully me afterwards? I don't want my peaceful school life to be gone!"_

After I sent the message, I adjusted my position on the toilet bowl. Here I am, inside a cubicle in one of Lightwood Academy's mint-scented restrooms, sitting on a bowl with a closed lid, contemplating on whether I should go to Jace Herondale now or just save going to him for tomorrow.

My phone beeped again.

_If you really want to thank him, then do it. Don't mind his teammates and stalkers. And for your information, Clary, your quiet school life was already gone the moment you became associated with Jace Herondale. Now excuse me, I still have a budding band to attend to._

_P.S.: We just found a guitarist!_

I should have known that Simon's answer would be like that. However, I can't help but to smile at the last part of his message. So he really was serious about starting a band. I decided to text him back.

_Okay, thanks. Now good luck with your band!_

_P.S.: No Isabelle Lightwood songs, okay?_

I closed my phone after the message was sent and stood up from the toilet bowl. I stretched my arms and took my bag from the door hanger.

There's no turning back. I have to face Jace Herondale.

…

…

I watched as he talked to one of his teammates. And I'm just standing here, my feet frozen in place and I can't seem to walk towards him.

_He did you a favor. He took you to the hospital. He deserves to be thanked, _my conscience told me.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to go to him.

When I reached him and his teammate – who I recognized as one of my classmates in Mr. Graymark's class – they didn't notice me right away. They were busy talking about guy things I wish my ears couldn't hear.

I cleared my throat to let them know of my presence.

They turned their heads at me and immediately exchanged looks of surprise and… amusement, I think.

"Hi, there, princess," Jace Herondale said with a big smile. "Need me?"

I wasn't able to reply for a moment. Until now, his smiles have their effect on me. "I… Uh… I need to talk to you."

"Spill it," he said as he made a gesture with his hand.

I hesitantly looked at his companion.

"Why do I get this feeling that I'm not welcome here?" his teammate said. "Should I leave?"

"No," Jace and I said in unison.

Jace actually looked amused. "We're the ones to get a room, M," he said as he grabbed my arm and started to walk off somewhere, dragging me with him.

"Yeah, man," his teammate replied. "You two should really go get a room!" He shouted after us and then chuckled.

When we reached the athletes' locker room, I broke my arm from Jace's hold. "Do you honestly think that I do not know what people mean with the saying 'get a room'?"

He smirked at me. "Of course I know that you know what it means, princess. I was just merely suggesting it."

Will he ever stop saying gross things? I shot him a disgusted look. "Perverts like you really annoy me."

"And girls like you who like to play hard to get really attract me," he countered.

"Liar," I replied. "Playboys like you will never truly be happy in life."

"The same thing goes with judgmental people like you," he replied.

I glared at him.

"Did you seriously rob me out of practice just so you could glare at and banter with me?" he asked when I didn't say anything. "Did the other academy's team send you to distract Lightwood's most-valuable-player? You're a spy, aren't you?"

His senseless accusations returned me to back to my right track. "O-of course not!"

"Then hurry up, darling. My time's being wasted here. Why do you need to talk to me?"

Oops. I forgot that his time is _too precious to be wasted by the likes of me_. Geez.

"Uhm…" the speech that I practiced couldn't come out of my mouth and I couldn't speak even though I tried.

Jace tapped a foot impatiently. "Well…?"

I looked away at him. "Ijustwantedtosaythankyou"

He actually laughed. "What?"

"IsaidIjustwantedtothankyou"

With a swift movement, he held my shoulders, leaned down on me, and made me look in his golden brown eyes. "Now tell me what it is, slow and clear," he said.

And I couldn't move.

I couldn't find my voice.

I couldn't breathe.

His eyes are so beautiful I just want to drown in them.

"Time's running," he whispered as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you just going to stare at me?"

I gulped. "I… I just… wanted to… thank you… thank you for last Saturday."

He didn't speak for a moment.

"Thank you," I repeated, more clearly now.

His hands didn't leave my shoulders. "That's all?"

"I… I'm willing to do a favor for you as a thank you token," I mumbled without thinking.

He smiled at me brightly. "Any favor?"

I meekly nodded as I broke eye contact.

"As in anything?"

I glared at him automatically. "Don't you even dare," I warned.

His smile didn't leave his face. "Attend the first game of the semi-finals this weekend. Watch and cheer for me."

I blinked. "What?"

He looked at me as if he couldn't understand me. "I just asked you a favor."

"T-That's it?"

"Why?" He looked at me innocently. "Were you thinking of something else, honey?"

I quickly shook my head. "No," I replied. "I mean, that's all you want me to do? Watch the game?"

His smiled turned evil. "There's a condition there, babe."

I don't like the sound of this. "What?"

"If we win, then you should go on a date with me."

WHAT?!

"And if you lose…?" I asked curiously.

He seemed to think for a while. "Then I'm never gonna bother you anymore."

I didn't say anything for a while.

"So…?" he asked, still holding onto my shoulders.

"So… if I do my favor, it benefits one of us?"

"'If'?" he repeated. "You said you'd do me a favor! Of course you should do it, no 'if's'! The conditions are another story; they're just supposed to spice things up."

I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh. I'm definitely going to regret this but a favor is a favor. "Okay," I mumbled.

Jace's bright eyes met mine when I opened them. "'Okay' as in 'okay'?"

I nodded stiffly as I bit my lip.

"Then it's a deal, dear," he said as he smiled at me one last time before releasing his grip on my shoulders. "I have to practice now if I want to win. You know the way out, right? Laters, baby."

I heard him leave but I'm still frozen in place, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart.

I haven't been that close to him ever since the first time we met.

I was mostly annoyed back then but now?

I feel…

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the door to the shower room open and saw two figures coming out.

To my surprise, it's a girl and a boy.

Despite my mind telling me to go out now, or at least hide somewhere, my feet stayed glued to the floor.

This is going to be awkward.

"Clary?" the boy's voice sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Whatever feeling Jace Herondale's physical closeness brought me was replaced with something else – disappointment and a little bit of hurt, maybe.

"You know her?" the girl's voice asked. "Who is she, Sebastian?"

The girl was looking at me curiously now that she's closer to me. And I can't help but notice the droplets of water that's falling from her hair down to her body that was only clad in a towel.

I still can't move and I'm just standing there, dumbstruck, unsure of what to do because of the inappropriateness and awkwardness of the scenario.

Sebastian came into view and though I shouldn't be, I was surprised to see him with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I tried not to blush. He put an arm around the girl's shoulders and led her to a chair where a bag was situated. "You should go change now, babe. Remember, you still have a photo shoot, right?"

"But –"

She was cut off when Sebastian whispered something in her ear. She then nodded and went to change. Moments later, after she was properly dressed, she left the locker room, but not without giving Sebastian a good-bye kiss.

The whole time, I was just standing there, trying to comprehend the situation.

Trying to soothe my protesting heart.

Sebastian gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about that." At least he had the grace to say sorry.

"I-it's okay," I tried to reply.

I then felt his arms gently guiding me towards one of the benches in the center of the room. "Are you okay? Why are you here by the way?"

I don't want him to know that I was with Jace. I tried to think of an excuse when he suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "Screw myself. I'm sorry I forgot."

I scrunched my forehead in confusion, trying to be on the same page as he is.

And then it hit me.

We're supposed to meet today. I was supposed to sketch him.

I'm not surprised that he forgot it.

What surprised me is that _I _forgot about it.

"I-it's okay," I said.

"Do you still want to do it today? Or should we just schedule it for tomorrow?" he asked, still looking sorry.

"T-tomorrow," I answered. "I… I should go now. Um… Bye?"

He seemed confused at my actions for a while. "Okay," he finally said. "You take care, alright?"

I nodded at him and left the locker room in a hurry.

* * *

"Thank you," I smiled at the lady at the cashier before leaving as I carried a bouquet of flowers in my hands.

As I stepped outside the shop, I bumped into a figure.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," I mumbled apologetically with my head bowed.

"It's okay," the person replied and upon hearing the voice which was quite familiar, my head shot up.

I blinked at her for a while. "Uh… Again, I'm sorry."

Isabelle Lightwood smiled at me. "You don't have to apologize twice," she said. "It's not your entire fault; I'm the one to blame, too. I should've looked where I was going."

I was totally speechless. I couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth. According to the stories, the only things that come out of Isabelle Lightwood's lips are either related to her "gorgeous self" or fashion and boys.

I guess not all the stories are true, after all.

Isabelle seemed to watch me curiously. "Those are beautiful flowers," she finally said, gesturing at the ones in my hands. "May I ask who they are for?"

Upon instinct, I looked down at the bunch in my hands. "They're for my brother," I replied. "He's in the hospital."

Something changed in her expression. "Oh," she started. "I'm also here to buy flowers for my brother," she said and I wondered why she would buy flowers for Alec. Is there an occasion?

I just nodded at her as a reply.

"I'm afraid I'm keeping you here," she said. "Well then, good-bye, and I wish your brother well."

I tried to smile at her. "I wish your brother well, too," I replied for the sake of showing courtesy, even though I doubt Alec needs to be wished well right now.

Isabelle Lightwood gave me a sad smile. "Thanks for that," she replied. "But the brother I'm visiting is in the cemetery."

Shock and guilt immediately attacked me. Upon seeing the look on my face, Isabelle said, "its okay, it's okay. Now if you would excuse me?" she bowed her head, gave me one last smile, and then entered the shop.

"Careless Clary," I mumbled to myself, annoyed at how my encounters with people always end up bad.

Giving one last look at the flower shop, I heaved one heavy sigh as I tried to hail a cab.

**-The End-**

* * *

I think this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written for this story.

I hope you liked it.

Please stay tuned, and be kind enough to leave a comment? I would love to hear from you! :)

Take Care, everyone. Love ya'll.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | May 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note**

It's finally vacation for me! Yay! Know what that means? I have more time for this story! :)

As usual, I want to thank all of you for supporting this story. I appreciate every favorite and follow and review. I love you all!

Here's chapter eleven! Happy Reading! :)

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 11: Past**_

**-CLARY-**

He hasn't spoken a word ever since I arrived. I looked at my watch. Fifteen minutes to one. I have to leave soon and yet, I don't want to leave without talking to him.

"Do you have a problem?" he suddenly asked and I quickly shook my head.

He just stared at me before he continued to eat.

I watched him and wished I could talk to him freely about what I learned from Isabelle yesterday. I wish I could freely ask him the questions I've been thinking since then. I wish I didn't push him away when he tried to talk to me.

The things I wish.

"Are you not going to eat that?" he asked as I saw him pointing to the egg pie in front of me.

I pushed the plate towards him. "You can have it; I'm not hungry at all."

He smiled at me before taking the pie. And I just sat there, watching him. After he has finished the food, he looked at me.

"So what did you need to tell Jace yesterday?" he asked.

I couldn't speak for a moment. "I... uhm... just wanted to thank him for a favor he did for me last Saturday," I replied.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "A favor?"

I nodded a yes.

"So you're friends now," he said.

"Not really," I immediately replied.

He gave me a questioning look.

"I mean... we're more of like acquaintances."

"Really," Alec replied, "for all I know you would be dating each other in a week or two."

Luckily, I wasn't drinking anything or I would've choked on it already. "Sometimes, I don't like your sense of humor."

Before Alec could reply, I was already standing up, carrying my bag as the clock says it's time for me to go.

"I'm leaving," I said as I smiled at him. "See you tomorrow!"

It was only when I was a few steps to my classroom that I realized I wasn't able to talk to him about his brother, and I only got annoyed at him for saying something about Jace Herondale and me.

Maybe Simon was wrong. Maybe I'm not a good friend at all.

* * *

Half an hour more.

"Seriously, Clary," Simon said. "Repetitively looking at your watch won't make time go by faster."

I looked up from my left wrist and then at him, who's carefully re-writing his notes on Chemistry. A smile found its way on my lips.

"When do you plan to tell me?" I asked.

He looked up from his notebook. "Tell you what?"

I didn't say anything.

"Really, I don't know what you're talking about." He returned to his notebook. His cheeks are slightly pink while he is trying hard to suppress his smile.

"I thought we're friends," I said. "I told you about Sebastian, even about Jace Herondale, why don't you tell me about Isabelle Lightwood?"

A girl walking by looked at us when Simon's pen flew to the floor.

As she was about to pick it up, Simon scrambled out of his chair. "I'll get it," he said, "I'm sorry."

When he returned to our table, Simon gave me an almost-serious look flawed by the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "What did you say?"

"I was asking why you won't tell me about Isabelle Lightwood."

"I… It wasn't… Isabelle…"

"Simon…"

He put his hands up. "Okay, okay," he said, now finally letting the smile set on his lips. "You caught me. But first, how did you know?"

I smiled at him. "I only saw you once smile big like that. It was when you greeted Isabelle Lightwood on her birthday."

The blush was back on his face. "It's that obvious?"

I nodded.

There was silence between us before Simon sighed. "I met her yesterday." He looked at me. "And no, I did not plan it. It was entirely coincidental."

"So… where is this place where you and Isabelle Lightwood coincidentally met each other?"

He raked his hands through his hair. Why do boys like to do that? "You wouldn't believe it Clary, it's the strangest place and never would I have thought I would meet her there."

"Where?" I asked, trying to be patient.

"The cemetery," Simon said, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. Of all the places we could meet, it's the cemetery."

I was silent for a while. "What were you doing at the cemetery, Simon?"

Simon's bright face fell. He did not speak for some time. He refused to look at me. "I was… visiting my sister."

So Simon lost a sibling, too. I tilted my head up and tried to look at the heavens through the library's roof. _Thank you, for I still have Jonathan. Please let him get well._

"She died four years ago," I heard Simon say. "It was a fatal car crash. She was supposed to go to her college dormitory that day. She was supposed to start a new chapter on her life."

"I'm sorry, Simon," I said. "You didn't need to tell me."

Simon looked at me. "It's okay. I wanted to. You're my best friend, right? And besides, I like remembering the past. It's part of who I am today and who I will be tomorrow. And the dead ones shouldn't be forgotten, either. In fact, we should always talk about them. Let them live in our hearts and in our minds. Let them live in the stories we tell. Let people meet them and know the wonderful person they once were."

I held my breath as he finished speaking. "Wow, Simon. That was beautiful."

Simon's ears reddened. "W-what was beautiful?"

I smiled. "What you said. I loved it. It was moving."

He smiled at me shyly. "I was just telling what I was thinking," he shrugged his shoulders.

I leaned in to him. "Please tell me stories about your sister. I want to meet her."

He closed his notebook and set his hands on the table. He was about to speak when he glanced at his watch and said, "I'd love to Clary, but aren't you supposed to meet someone in like, seven minutes?"

I looked at my watch and Simon's right. I instantly stood up from my seat and stuffed my things in my bag. "My goodness! Let's talk about your sister another time, okay?"

When I was some feet away from our table, I ran back to Simon. "And yes, you have yet to tell me about your encounter with Isabelle Lightwood that made you smiling like crazy today!"

Simon laughed. "Okay, alright," he motioned me to go my way. "Hurry up or that person might think you're standing him up!"

I gave him one last smile before I hurried on my way to the benches on the school ground.

* * *

When I arrived, he was already sitting on the bench. His head was tilted upwards, eyes closed, as he enjoyed the shade that the trees offered. I sat on the bench nearest to him and pulled out my sketch pad from my bag.

Without him noticing it, I started to draw a portrait of him.

As I traced the outline of his face, I couldn't help but wonder if he, too, like Simon, like to remember the past. I made the quick assumption that he probably doesn't, because I don't think he actually remembers his past.

_Maybe he does,_ the little voice inside my head said. _He just doesn't remember you. Maybe for him, you're not a part of his past._

My hands stopped moving. I quickly shook the thought away.

"You're already here?" I heard his voice ask as I saw him standing in front of me, handing me a pencil.

I didn't notice that my pencil fell. The sound must have caught his attention.

I looked at my hands. "I'm sorry. It's just… when I saw you… I… I had the urge to capture the moment."

He chuckled a little. "Is that so? Then should I go back to that pose?"

I nodded, still not looking at him.

He made a sound, letting me know that he smiled.

I took a deep breath and when I looked at his direction, he was already back to his initial position, except that he seemed more relaxed now.

I made my hand continue the work as my mind wandered off to some years ago.

* * *

_**EIGHT YEARS PRIOR TO PRESENT TIME**_

"_Will you stop crying now?" the boy asked as he leaned towards a redhead girl, handing her a bear._

_As soon as Little Jo was in her hands, the girl hugged her immediately. She looked up at the boy who saved her from the bullies. "T-thank you," she mumbled._

_The boy looked at her curiously. "But why are you still crying?"_

_The girl tried to wipe her tears away. "I-I'm okay. I'm h-happy."_

_The boy sat beside her on the swing. "Really?"_

_The girl nodded._

_They were silent for a while before the boy spoke. "What's your name?"_

_The girl looked at the boy before answering, "Clary. How about you?"_

"_Sebastian," the boy said, "Sebastian Verlac."_

"_That's a nice name," Clary said. She noticed that Sebastian was staring at her. "W-what's the problem?"_

"_Why is your hair colored like a carrot?" he asked._

_Clary hiccupped. "I got it from my mommy." She looked at him, too. "W-why is your hair white?"_

_Sebastian laughed. "White? My mom says it's pale blonde."_

_Clary nodded. "I like it."_

_Sebastian smiled. "Thank you. I like your hair, too."_

_That made Clary smile. "Does this mean we are friends now?"_

"_Yes!" Sebastian replied. "So the next time the bullies try to do something to you, just call me at the fourth graders' room, okay?" He extended an arm to her._

_Clary smiled and nodded before shaking his hand._

_For the next days, whenever they saw each other at school, they always smiled at each other. But they never talked, just exchanged smiles._

_A week later, on the day before her ninth birthday, Clary went to the fourth graders' room to look for her new friend Sebastian._

_He wasn't there. And the days and weeks that followed. For the rest of the school year, Clary went to look for him there every day after class. _

* * *

"But she never saw him again," I whispered, as I did the finishing touches.

I shifted my eyes from the sketch pad to him, only to see that his chest was slowly rising and falling. He has fallen asleep.

Can he really not remember me? I know we only talked during that time but still…

_He's not that little boy you met anymore. That boy was Sebastian Verlac. He is Sebastian Morgenstern now. Let go of the past, _that voice in my mind said once again.

"I know," I mumbled to myself as an answer. I know it's childish of me to cling to that little scene in the past but… aren't childhood crushes supposed to be remembered?

I sighed before going to him. I gently shook him. "Uhm… S-Sebastian? I just finished," I said lowly I doubt he even heard me.

He stirred a bit. Blinked his times many times before finally focusing his gaze on me. "Oh. You're done already?" he asked.

I nodded as I handed him my sketch pad. I bit my lip as he examined my work. "Wow. It's amazing. I can't wait to see the painted version." He smiled at me. "Are you okay with making a painting version of this?"

It took me a second too long to respond. "Yes."

"Then maybe you should take a photo of me on your phone, so you could remember the right colors."

I shook my head. "There's no need." He looked confused. "I already know it."

He smiled again. "Then you truly are an artist," he said.

"T-thank you," I said as I smiled a little, trying hard to fight the blush that's probably starting to appear on my cheeks.

"Your smile is pretty," he added.

I'm sure my cheeks are pink right now. I was thinking of a reply when an unwelcome voice spoke.

"Seb," the voice said, sounding a little annoyed. "We've got a semi-finals coming this weekend, remember?"

Sebastian looked at the intruder and smiled at him. "I know, Jace," he said, "I was just taking a break here."

Jace Herondale looked at him with something in his eyes. "Whatever, let's go now." He stomped away as fast as he arrived.

Sebastian looked at me. "I'm sorry for my grumpy friend. I'm afraid I need to go now. Will you be alright?"

I nodded my head. "Goodbye"

"Bye!" he replied. "Take Care! I'll look forward to the painting, okay?"

I watched as he ran to catch up with Jace, who has slowed down his pace. Jace Herondale, with his golden hair being blown by the wind. Jace Herondale, whose white shirt was pasted to his back with sweat.

Jace Herondale who didn't even look at me. Jace Herondale who acted as if I wasn't there at all.

I repeatedly shook my head. I know in the depths of me that I should be happy he ignored me. But why am I like this? Why am I annoyed that he ignored me?

"He interrupted my time with Sebastian," I finally said to myself. For the meantime, I would hold on to this explanation.

**-The End-**

* * *

I hope you liked it :)

Kindly leave a review, maybe? I'd love to hear from you! (also, can you share this to your friends? c: )

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | June 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	13. Chapter 12

**Author's Note**

The follows of this story has reached three digits! And for that, I am thankful to all of you, my dear readers :) Thank you for the support. Every favorite and alert and follow and review overwhelms my heart. And to show you my gratitude, I will strive to write better chapters.

I apologize for not updating soon. As you know, it's my vacation and I have a lot of catching up to do with the stuff that I wasn't able to face during school. There are so many distractions and it is only late at night that I get to do my writing. Again, I'm sorry.

Here is chapter 12 and I know you missed his point of view, so I give it to you.

Happy reading!

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 12: Spontaneous Mistakes**_

**-JACE-**

"Good, good. Now rest you lot, and watch the next batch play," Hodge, our coach, said as he motioned us to go to the benches.

As I approached, M threw me a towel and bottled water. I took big gulps and poured the remaining contents over my head already drenched with sweat. I was about to ask Sebastian's whereabouts when M snickered.

"What?" I asked.

"See for yourself," he replied while pointing toward the benches in the grounds.

I followed his finger and my eyes saw something I didn't like. Red was standing by a bench where Sebastian was sitting, her hand shaking him. When he came to, he looked at her and they spoke. Red handed him over something and they smiled at each other after he looked at it. They kept on talking and smiling.

It's annoying. They're smiling too much.

"You look pissed," M commented beside me. "Afraid you're losing the bet?"

Before I knew it, I was already on my feet, making my way towards them.

"Hey!" M shouted after me. "What are you going to do?"

Whatever he was saying went to deaf ears. All I'm focused on right now is Red and Sebastian smiling at each other like crazy.

I halted when I was a few feet away from them.

"Your smile is pretty," I heard Sebastian say.

The flirt. Does he think that overused compliment would affect Red?

Red blushed. Not pink-blush. She looked like a ripe apple. I waited for her comeback, for her to say that those won't work on her. To my surprise, she didn't say anything. She's actually speechless?

I couldn't take watching them anymore. "Seb," I said as I walked towards them. "We've got a semi-finals coming this weekend, right?"

He looked at me and dared to smile. "I know, Jace. I was just taking a break here."

I stared at him as I tried to stop myself from doing something I know I'll regret later. "Whatever, let's go now."

I started to walk away and felt Red's eyes follow me.

Moments later, Sebastian was already walking next to me. He put his hands in his pockets. "That was some good break."

Good break your face; I could break your nose right now. I kicked a stone that was in my way before I spoke out loud. "You know Hodge won't be happy to hear about this."

He sighed. "I don't care. I practiced hard yesterday. He'd forgive me for being late today."

I let out an annoyed sigh. "Really? I hope your practice mate is fine."

He chuckled. "Yeah. I called her this morning. Seelie said she's doing well."

Maybe he was expecting me to laugh too, because he looked expectantly at me. I stared at him for a while before giving out a lifeless laugh. "Good for her."

Seelie. The queen of all the bitches in all of New York.

We were nearing the benches in which our teammates sat but I wasn't able to stop myself. "Seems like you're in for a serious relationship. How long have the two of you been dating? A month already, right?"

Sebastian chuckled. "I don't know. But yeah, she's the longest one, so far."

We had already arrived and Sebastian immediately went to Hodge for some scolding for being late. After I sat on a bench, I looked at him and sighed, rolled my eyes.

Someone tapped me on the back. "So that's why you're annoyed with Seb, huh. It's still about the desirable Queen Seelie."

I turned to M. "She's not the least bit desirable."

"But you do admit you're annoyed with Seb because of her." M shook his head. "I shouldn't have told you about their little escapade in the shower room yesterday. This is all my fault."

"Fuck off, M," I mumbled as I leaned my head backwards, closed my eyes, and draped a towel over my face.

M just laughed but I heard him leave.

Sebastian's a good friend, I repeatedly chanted in my mind as I took deep breaths. After some time, I stood up from my spot and made my way to the locker rooms with only one thing on my mind: I must win the bet.

* * *

"W-Why are you here?" the four-eyed guy that I'm now familiar with asked.

"Why, the last time I checked, I'm still a mentor here," I replied.

He wiped sweat on his forehead. "But… aren't you the soccer team's MVP? You should be practicing, right?"

I let out an annoyed sigh. "Are you doubting my skills? Just give me the list of appointments already."

He didn't answer and just fiddled with some file folders for a while before handing one to my outstretched hand. I jumped to the Math section right away and flipped through them immediately and as I expected, Red's was there. I scanned it briefly. Tomorrow after lunch hours. Complex numbers_._

"I'll take this," I told four-eyed guy, waving Red's folder, to which he just stiffly nodded.

I put the stub in my wallet and left the LRC office. I was on my way to the lockers before bumping hard into someone. Beating me into it, the person immediately knelt down to pick up my things. I was met with long caramel hair, shining hazel eyes and round-shaped face when the person stood up. "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking," she said with a velvety voice, all the while holding my gaze.

"It's okay," I said as I patted her arm.

"Here," she said as she handed me the folder that fell. She smiled at me a smile that I knew too well before she left.

I smiled as I continued to walk, checking the inside of the folder. And there it was, as I predicted, her digits scrawled beautifully in a piece of paper, as if she had many reserves with her like business cards.

Later that evening, no longer caring that I'm supposed to be annoyed at him, I was already speeding towards Sebastian's family's bar, my car's shotgun seat not empty.

"So, what's your name?" I asked my companion.

"Wendy," she replied. "And you are…?"

"You know me," I said and she giggled at my confidence.

She scooted closer to me and breathily whispered in my ear, "Jace Herondale"

I stopped the car due to traffic. I faced her and she audibly gasped upon seeing me face-to-face. I put my hands on her shoulders and moved her so she was sitting upright on the seat. "I'm sorry, honey, but I hate distractions while I'm driving."

Her lips made an O shape. "Sorry," she mumbled, smiling sweetly. "I'll just wait here."

"That you should," I replied as I sped down the road, thanking God that the traffic dissolved.

Screw that Seelie bitch. Screw Sebastian. Forget about everything. Tonight, I'm going to have a good time.

* * *

I woke up with a headache. It stayed with me throughout my morning classes, until lunch time when it finally disappeared after me having gulped down whatever Izzy gave M, Seb, and I.

"Seriously," she started, looking at the three of us "I rarely go to your table to eat lunch and you're all going to meet me with headaches from hangover?"

"Sorry, Princess Isabelle," M mumbled.

Izzy huffed. "Who in the world drinks during school nights?!"

"Me," the three of us answered at the same time.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "You're all even underage."

"Hey! I'm turning eighteen in ten days!" Sebastian said. "Scold these two over here."

"Whatever. So, what made the three of you go out and drink last night?" she asked.

"We weren't together last night," M answered. "Seb went out with his girl. Jace here got himself a new babe. I was alone and I just felt like drinking."

"Just felt like drinking?!" Izzy repeated. "That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

We all laughed. Izzy checked her phone. "Well, I need to go now. You guys take care of your headaches, okay?"

We nodded at her like she was our mom.

"And don't you dare drink before the semi's this weekend, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am," we all replied.

"Good," she said before giving us a satisfied smile and left our table.

I leaned my head back on my chair. "I swear sometimes she thinks we're her sons."

"More like pets," Seb said and the three of us chuckled.

"Ahhh. It's so nice that we have this period after lunch as break time," Seb said and I made a thumbs up as a sign that I agree.

I was right, just one good night would make my annoyance with Seb disappear. He ought to thank Sandy. Or was it Sandy?

As if reading my mind, Seb asked, "So… what's your new girl's name, Jace?"

"Ugh… Sandy? No, I think it's Lency."

He and M laughed. "You're really bad at names."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

I noticed that there are only a few students left in the canteen as majority of them left for their after-lunch classes. What am I supposed to do during this one and a half hour of freedom? Sleep. Yes, sleep.

My eyes were already closed when my phone rang. I let it go to voicemail. It rang again but still, I didn't pick up. It was on the third ring that I answered it just so the ringing would stop bothering me.

"What?" I grumbled.

"Uhh… Where are you?" the voice answered.

"Who the hell is this?"

"It's Kristoff. Where are you?"

I have no idea who Kristoff is. "Why should I tell you where am I?" I asked, annoyed at most because all I want to do is to sleep right now.

"Uhm… you're supposed to tutor someone like, right now, right?"

Shit.

I hung up as I stood from my chair.

"Where are you going?" M asked sleepily.

"Somewhere you don't give a shit about," I replied.

* * *

When I entered the room, I immediately saw Red who was sitting alone by a table, writing something. I made my way towards her.

"Sorry I'm late," I said as I pulled out the chair beside her.

"I told you, you shouldn't have applied as a tutor if you're not going to commit to your responsibilities," was her reply. Her eyes didn't leave the notebook where she was writing.

"I said I'm sorry. I had some things to do."

She turned to look at me. "Is that why you sound sleepy?"

"Who says I sound sleepy?"

She shook her head, as if disappointed. "Aren't you going to tutor me now? You made me wait for fifteen minutes."

This girl is something. She sounds like the typical girlfriend in movies, saying things that hit the boy right in his conscience.

I sighed. "Alright, so let's start with…"

* * *

She's doing it again. Her silent treatment. So far the phrases that have escaped her mouth are "Can you explain it again?" "Okay, I get it now" "Mind elaborating?"  
"It's now clear" "Alright" "Done" and…

"I give up," she muttered for the third time as she put her pen down. She sighed before she slowly pushed her paper and pen to me, asking me to solve the sample problem that she's stuck with.

I smirked before I took the paper and pen. "Look here," I said as I started to show her the solution. I tried to explain every procedure as best and as fast I could. My phone has been vibrating for a good two minutes now, no doubt being bombarded by text messages from Lindy. Too pressing. Too pushy.

News flash: (a) I don't like her anymore because (b) the truth is I don't like all kind of girls.

"Ah," I heard Red exclaim beside me. "You're left-handed."

My hand stopped writing as I turned to her and smiled. "Now you're speaking."

She blinked at me a few times before she turned her eyes back to the paper. "Why… why did you stop explaining?"

I didn't let my eyes leave her. "Why does it matter to you that I'm left-handed?"

Her eyes left the paper but didn't meet mine. "It's just that… I have always been fascinated by people who are left-handed."

Here it is, another thing I could add to my list of why she is unique. "Why?" I asked. "And didn't you hear it's rude not to look at the people you are talking to?"

Red sighed and turned to face me. Though her eyes seem to be looking at me, I know that she's not really looking at my eyes. "No significant reason. It's only because people say lefties are the best artists."

I snickered at that. "I assume you're not left-handed and you're jealous of us, right? Because you want to be the best artist."

That made her look me in the eye. Not the way I wanted though, because now she's glaring at me. "Then you're assumption is wrong. And didn't you hear that I said I'm fascinated by you?"

"I have always known you're fascinated with me."

"I meant 'you' in the plural form, jerk," she said in an obviously annoyed voice.

"Wow. This is the first time you called me a jerk."

"Actually, I have called you that countless times in my mind ever since I met you. I just voiced it out now."

And this is fun. She's talking again. No more silent treatment. "How often you must be thinking of me, then," I said.

She exhaled slowly. "Why are you so full of yourself?"

"Because I know I have all the right to be."

She opened her mouth as if to speak but then decided not to. And I just stared at her, challenging her choice of not replying. It was then that I noticed her hand tapping on the table, pointing to the paper where my unfinished solution was waiting.

I laughed before I could even stop myself. Little Miss Red who's so determined to pass her Trigonometry class. Red, who chooses math over me. "Alright, I'll finish this. I can't have you blaming me if you flunk Trigo now, can I?"

"So funny, Herondale."

I have never enjoyed mathematics up to now, to be honest.

* * *

"Where were you after lunch?" M asked as we sat by the benches, watching Seb and the first batch play.

"I told you it's the least of your interests."

"But someone was interested," M pushed.

I turned to him.

"Her name's Wendy, she says. And she looked mad because apparently, someone wasn't answering their phone."

So the name is Wendy. "I was busy."

M looked genuinely surprised. "Dude, you were never too busy for a girl! What got into you?"

I really don't like telling M things, especially regarding the bet but he's starting to rub on me now. "I was busy with a redhead. Satisfied?"

"Don't tell me –"

"I expected this from you. Clean your dirty mind. You know she's a hard case."

He smirked. "So you admit what you and Seb has been trying to not to admit. Well, you know your time is unlimited. But please don't take too long because it will be boring."

"Just trust me." I smirked back at him. "I will make her fall for me, hard."

"Oh really? Is that why you've been ignoring all my messages and calls?" Someone said behind us. We looked back and were met my angry brown eyes. She was standing tall with her arms planted on her hips. Her eyes were looking daggers at me.

I put on my charming smile, the one I use right before I say goodbye to girls. "Oh, hi there, sweetheart. How have you been? I missed you… uhm…"

"Wendy," she supplied curtly. "Geez, you don't even remember my name. What kind of boyfriend are you?!"

M suppressed a chuckle, which earned him a glare from her. He put his hands up in defense and quietly stalked away.

"Well?"

"Well, I don't care about your name but I remember that I was never your boyfriend."

"What?! But we…"

"Made out? Unfortunately, dear, that didn't mean anything to me."

I watched her inhale, as if preparing to blow me with a flurry of insults, which I always get from girls during breakup. Instead, she pursed her lips, flipped me the bird, and then stomped away, all the way trying not to cry.

She'll get over it soon.

"Very well done, Jace Herondale," M said as he went back to me, dramatically clapping his hands. "There goes the newest member of the We-Hate-Jace-Herondale-Because-He-Played-Us Club. I hope they give her a warm welcome. I wonder how many other girls you're going to send there before a certain redhead joins them."

I just rolled my eyes at him, even though the thought of Red joining that non-existent club actually makes me uneasy.

After a few minutes of silence, M decided to speak again. This guy seriously can't take silences, sometimes he annoys me. "So I take it you're alone again tonight, huh."

I picked up the water bottle beside me and drank from it. "Not really. I'm having dinner with Alec."

"Dude, I swear sometimes I –"

"For the world's sake, M, Alec is not gay," I said as I let out an exasperated sigh. "When are you ever going to stop with that mad theory of yours?"

M rolled his eyes. "When you finally see the truth."

"Well, I have always known the truth, and that is Alec is straight. And if you're ever right and he actually is what you tell him to be, then nothing would change, who would still be my best friend."

"Turn a blind eye whatever you want, but I can feel it in my guts that your best friend is –".

"What about Alec?" a voice cut M off.

Why are we so unaware of people sneaking on us today?

"Izzy!" M literally jumped on surprise.

I secretly snickered. "Hi there, Iz. What brought you here?"

"Were you talking about my brother?" she asked as she sat beside me.

"Nope," M blurted out immediately.

Izzy just raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you guys sober now?"

We nodded. "Whatever you gave us helped a lot. You're the best."

She smiled contentedly. "You're welcome. Just don't drink on school nights again."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Anyway, how's practice?"

"'twas fine," I replied. "Where have you been, by the way? You're a mess." Her blouse was stained with brown, skirt rumpled and parts of her hair powdered white.

She laughed nervously. "Please don't tell Alec. Or my dad. And especially, never my mom. I know ever since they left, they've been secretly sending you e-mails to check on me, don't deny."

She knows her parents too well. Maryse had certainly been asking me about her in the past weeks.

"So you've been in the canteen's kitchen again?" M inquired.

Izzy slowly nodded her head. "Don't tell them, pleaaaaase. Here, I brought you some brownies." She brought out a Tupperware containing the said delicacies. "Don't worry, I didn't make them," she added when she saw us hesitate to bite.

After hearing that safety confirmation, I let myself taste the brownie and its flavor overwhelmed my tongue. "This certainly isn't yours, Iz, because it tastes so damn delicious."

Izzy playfully slapped my arm. "Anyway, I came here to ask something about Alec," she said when I finished my second brownie.

"What about him?" I asked.

"Uhm… You know… I know he's been going here ever since he arrived, doing God knows what. And that doesn't concern me much except lately he's been talking about this girl that fascinates him so much and that he really likes her. And I think… I don't know. I think he has found himself a girlfriend."

I gave a meaningful glance at M. _See, he's not gay_. "Well, isn't that supposed to make you happy? Your brother has found someone."

Izzy shook her head. "But it's too soon. It hasn't even been a month since he arrived. What if the girl is… you know, not really fit for him? And do they know each other well enough to be in a relationship already? What if she breaks his heart? What if he gets depressed, commits suicide? God, I can't afford to lose another brother!"

_Max_, I thought sadly. I took her hand and sandwiched it between my hands. "Calm down, Isabelle. Don't freak out. We're not even sure if Alec really is in a relationship with someone."

"Yeah, maybe she's just a good friend or something," M added, moving to sit on Izzy's other side.

Izzy sighed. "I just don't want Alec to get hurt."

"Don't worry. We're going to have dinner tonight and I'll try to find out if he's really dating someone," I said.

She smiled at me after hearing that. "Don't just try, do it. Don't face me again without having found out." And it is now that M and I know we had comforted her.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't go around being paranoid about your brother, or anything else."

The smile didn't leave her lips. And then she pulled her hands from mine, saying, "Your hands are dirty and sticky! Yuck!"

M chuckled as I shook my head.

**-The End-**

* * *

I hope you liked it :)

And yes, if you're following me, you probably know by now that I have uploaded a new story. I hope that you're also going to read and support it, just like you do with this story. Best wishes to all of us!

Please also leave a review, if you want as well as share it to your friends :)

I love you all!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | June 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	14. Chapter 13

**Author's Note**

Allow me to thank all of you for all the support that you've been giving this story. You all make me happy and it's so nice writing knowing that there are people who are liking what I write. As usual, I promise that I'll try to make each chapter good. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you all.

Here's chapter 13! Enjoy! :)

AND PLEASE, PLEASE. Do a favor for me. It would mean a lot to me if you visit: ** . ** and like it. :) I'm revealing my true name so it is quite risky but still... Please? Thank you!

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 13: Date (Part I)**_

**-JACE-**

"Izzy says you have a girlfriend."

Alec choked. We're in his beloved Wendy's and he's currently munching on his favorite burger. This is our idea of dinner. After he drank from his glass, he let out a laughter I've never heard from him before, I was almost convinced Izzy was right.

"Where in the world did she get that idea?"

I shrugged. "She said you were talking about a girl a lot lately."

The smile on his face was mysterious. "She's only a friend."

"I swear, Jace," he added when I gave him a malicious look.

I just raised an eyebrow at him. "Alright. You said so. I assume that's all the information you're going to give me?"

"She's the girl you talked to me about one time."

I sighed. "I told you. I'm not the type of guy who talks about girls to his best friend. I don't remember ever telling you something about a girl." He has been bugging me about this girl I apparently talked to him about the night after Izzy's party, when we spent a night of catching up. I honestly can't remember talking about a girl.

"You were just too drunk then," Alec replied.

"I guess so," I replied. "Or maybe you have another best friend."

He made a face at that. I eyed him. If what he's saying is true, how much did I say? And _who_ did I talk about? I could only think of Lily but how and why would Alec be friends with her? Yes, he did befriended Red but that's a different case. He usually likes people who are a little different from others, I could understand his acquaintance with Red. But Lily? She's not that unique to catch Alec's interest, much less fascinate him. And why would I talk about Lily to him? Only now, after many years? No, I definitely did not talk about Lily to Alec because I know I would never do it, drunk or not.

Alec's chuckle broke me out of my reverie. "You look problematic."

"Heh."

"Wait, since when did you become my sister's spy?"

"What spy?"

"You think I wouldn't notice? This is the first time you asked me about my relationships. I know you don't want to meddle with them. But now? You're asking me in place of Isabelle?"

I sighed. "It's only because she was freaking out. You know how your sister is; I had to do something to stop her from ripping herself apart due to being paranoid."

We both laughed at that.

"You're right," he said. "Now can we please change our topic?"

"Right," I replied. "Are you still meeting that lunchmate of yours?"

There was suddenly a mysterious glint in his eyes, as if he knew something I didn't. "Why does it concern you?"

"Well, I'm afraid you'll replace me with her as your new best friend."

Alec half chuckled. "Since when did you become so possessive of me?"

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Alec."

"So what about my lunchmate, what's your problem with her?"

I looked at him and examined. What's with him? First, I ask about her and he doesn't answer. And when I let it go, he returns the topic to her. "I don't really have one," I replied. "I was just concerned that the two of you are plotting something evil for me behind my back."

Alec smiled. "Good. So don't get too surprised one day when we carry out our plan."

* * *

Thursday and Friday went by swiftly. Before I knew it, it was already the day of the semi's and the announcer was delivering the wonderful news that Lightwood Academy won Game 1.

Our supporters cheered loudly as I scanned the crowd carefully. And I spotted her, the familiar redhead sitting beside a nerd guy. She was clapping her hands in celebration but her face says otherwise.

I just won a date with her.

Someone clapped me on the back. "You did a good job there, Herondale, keep it up." It was Coach Hodge.

"Are you coming to dinner later?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Nah, you kids enjoy on your own."

I nodded to that and clapped his back, too, before I went to the shower rooms.

I finished showering before the others and as I walked out of the room, I bumped into someone.

"Hi, there, Red," I greeted her happily.

She sighed as she raised her hand in an attempt of waving hello. "You won."

I grinned at her. "What's your address again?"

Her forehead wrinkled. "And why should I tell you?"

"Because I'll pick you up tomorrow, honey. We have a date, remember?"

She blinked her eyes in confusion. "I thought when you said 'date', you meant dinner after the game?"

I can't help but laugh a little bit. So that's why she's here. "Then you thought wrong, sweetheart. When I said 'date', I meant a whole day of going out and eating and kissing, and maybe something more."

She didn't bother to hide the horror and disgust on her face. "I'm not kissing you!"

"Better remember those words because you're going to take them back tomorrow."

"You're gross!"

"Now give me your address."

"I won't!"

"You won't? I thought we had a deal."

The expression on her face clearly gave away that she's scolding herself for agreeing to the deal. She let out a dejected sigh before mumbling her address.

I took mental note of it. "See you tomorrow, darling," I patted her head like a child. "I'm going. You should leave too; you know it's never safe for a little girl to be alone inside men's locker room."

I was a few steps away already when I heard her shout, "I'm not a little girl!"

I just laughed at that.

* * *

I hate hot days. I hate traffic. But what I hate the most is traffic in the middle of a hot day. And though the aircon of my car was on, I can't help but feel hot because my temper is reaching its boiling point. I've been stuck in this traffic for too long.

I glanced at the clock. Fucking thirty minutes after nine. I'm fucking late for half an hour already.

The car in front of me moved and relief flooded through me. It was only for a short time though because it immediately stopped again.

Damn.

In another minute, it moved again. And I followed. It stopped. And I stopped. Move, stop, move, stop. It went on like that for almost ten minutes and when I was on the road leading to Red's given address, it was already five before ten.

As my car is parked outside their gate, I considered getting out and ringing the bell or just honking my horn to call her attention. I decided on the latter.

It took me three presses before the door to their house opened and Red came out while trying to tie her hair with one hand, the other holding a phone against her ear. She finally gave up with her hair and locked the door. As she's nearing the gate, I could hear parts of her conversation on the phone.

"Yes, I did talk to her."

"Yes, I locked the door."

"Yes, mom. I won't come home late."

"Please call me if anything happens."

"Okay, mom. Bye. I love you too."

After she put her phone inside her mini sling bag, she locked their gate, tied her hair, and then looked at me as if to say, _You're late._

I put on a smile. "Blame traffic. Did you wait too long?"

She didn't look convinced but she opened the car door anyway. "I knew you're going to be late so I went to the hospital first."

And then I suddenly feel guilty and not just because I'm taking her away from her brother, but also because of the whole bet, for some unknown reason. I shut the guilt away into the deepest confines of my brain. "That's nice," I said. "Anyway, since we're going to start off later than planned, let's just eat first."

Beside me, she exhaled deeply as if preparing herself for battle, before saying, "Okay."

I smirked at that and then started to drive.

* * *

"Why do you like it here?" Red asked as the waiter left after taking our order.

We're currently at Grumpy Doe and even though it's kind of crowded because it's Sunday, we were still able to get the table where we ate before.

I looked at the decors hanging on the wall. "It gives a private aura, and besides, there are no windows beside it so no creepy peepers."

"Not this table," she replied. "This place. Grumpy Doe. Why do you like it here?"

Because this is where my family always went to when I was young. This place is full of many happy memories. I told none of this to her and made sure my face didn't show, too. Instead, I said, "Wow that was some assumption there. What made you think I like this place?"

"I… I just a-assumed. I mean, it's far from my house and on the way, we went past many other places to eat, so…" Does she know she looks cute when she stutters?

I turned my head to look at her. "Why are you like that? Always having trouble answering me when I ask you simple questions?"

She opened her mouth as if to speak but I made a stopping motion with my hand. "Forget it. You're probably just going to stutter answering me again."

She shut her mouth and turned to look away as she slid her glasses up her nose. We didn't speak as we waited for our orders that are taking too long while she examined the paintings up the walls and I watched her, trying to think of a better and faster way to make her fall for me. She adjusted her glasses again for the nth time; it's starting to bother me.

I was about to say something to her when the waiter arrived with our orders. After he left, I decided to let go on the matter of her glasses as we indulged ourselves into the food.

We finished our meals quickly and while we waited for the waiter to bring the bill, Red asked, "So where are we going and what are we going to do? And do not dare say that K word."

I laughed a bit. "You kept thinking about it since yesterday, didn't you?"

She instantly blushed at that. "I did not!" After a second, she added, "Just tell me where we're going."

I watched her adjust her glasses again. The waiter arrived with the bill and as I pulled out money from my wallet, I said, "Let's go the mall. You're not going to object that, right?"

"Okay," she replied. "I think that would be nice." Even though she said that, I still heard the concern in her voice. She's probably worried about what we're going to do for the rest of the date.

Don't worry there, Red. I promise you we're going to have a good time.

* * *

It took us twenty minutes to drive to the mall and by the time we arrived there, I have learned that her brother still hasn't woken up from his coma and is apparently showing no signs to for the next days. By the way she talked, I could tell she really was concerned and cared about him and for a moment, I felt a bit envious. As an only child, I have always been jealous of people who have siblings, siblings to love and care about and make bonds with. The only people I had when I was younger were my nannies.

After we have gone through security at the entrance, Red asked me again, "So… where do we go?"

"Follow me," I said as I started to walk, not bothering to check if she would follow me.

She must have been surprised because it took her one minute before she caught up and was walking beside me. "Where are we going?"

I didn't slow down my pace as I said, "Just follow."

I heard her pout but I just continued to walk.

When we arrived, she instantly turned to me. "Don't tell me you brought me here to accompany you as you get your eyes checked?"

I sighed. "Sometimes I don't know if you're just pretending or if you're really just naïve."

She furrows her brows in confusion. A girl approached us and asked, "What can I do for you, sir, ma'am?"

I pointed at Red. "We'll get one pair of clear contacts for her."

"Does your eyeglass have prescription?" she asked Red.

"I- ah…"

"It does," I answered for her.

The girl nodded and took a note on her pad. She pointed to a side of the store where two other people are sitting. "Just wait and line up there, please."

This time, Red spoke for the two of us. "Thank you."

When we were sat, she immediately looked at me. "What in the world are you doing?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm buying you contacts."

She shook her head, fast. "Are you out of your mind? Everything in this shop is expensive!"

I smiled at her. "Nothing is too expensive for me, honey. And besides, you don't have to pay me. You can call this a gift from me for our first date."

The frown was still visible on her face. "This is your idea of a date? Showing off that you're a filthy rich arrogant guy? And for your information, this is our first _and_ last date."

I put a hurt look on my face. "You call my kindness an act of showing off?"

"Don't play that fake expression on me, Herondale," she replied. "Let's just leave here. You're wasting money."

"But contacts are a necessity," I insisted.

"No, they're not," she countered. "I have my glasses, which is enough."

I shook my head. "Your glasses are annoying."

"I do not wear glasses to impress you."

"You think I haven't noticed the way your forehead wrinkles a little whenever you lift your arm to adjust your glasses?"

"It's none of your business!" She's breathing hard now due to building anger.

I sighed. "Look, why won't you just agree for once? I'm not asking you to completely abandon your glasses; all I'm doing is giving you another option to wear for your eyes. Actually, you look cute with your glasses on but what's the point of being cute if it burdens you? You can't deny there are some activities where sometimes you wish you didn't have to wear glasses, right? I know that because my best friend Alec had the same problem before he opted for contacts when going out. Why can't you see that I'm trying to be nice to you?"

While I was speaking, she was looking at me, her breathing slowing down, and her nerves calming. When I finished, she instantly bowed her head and played with her fingers, trying to remove what seemed like paint in the insides of one of her nails.

"I-I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I was just… I mean… your act of trying to be nice… it's too generous."

"It's the price, isn't it?" I asked.

She slowly nodded her head, still more interested in her nails than me.

"You can pay the thirds, then," I said.

That made her look up. "What?"

"I said you can pay the thirds of the total price, if that's what would satisfy your conscience. No due date or whatsoever."

"Um… how about not getting contacts at all?" she tried.

"Nope," I replied, emphasizing the 'p' sound. "It's that or I'll pay the total price."

She sighed and turned away from me. "Okay."

* * *

After getting her contacts – which she opted not to wear yet – we went to the arcade zone and played. It was a good and new thing because we didn't argue a lot for the reason that she was more interested in beating me on every single game than starting up a fight with me. There were times when she enjoyed the game a lot and laughed, looked at me, and then looked away blushing, which, for some reason, I didn't tease her about.

"It's not fair," she said as threw a ball in the basketball game. "You're taller than me."

I chuckled. "It's not my fault that I'm taller than you. You should've slept when you were younger."

"Shut up," she said as she continued on throwing and jumping so that the ball would pass through the net.

"But that's a true science fact, right? When we sleep, whatever part of system that is responsible for growing works better and faster because we don't use energy. Don't tell me a nerd like you does not know that."

"Of course I know that!" she replied, throwing her second to the last ball. "But there's also something called genetics and my great-great- aahh!" After jumping higher to throw her last ball, she lost her balance when her feet reached the ground and she would have lied on the floor right now if I hadn't caught her.

"Are you okay?"

She was breathing hard and her pulse was fast. "Y-Yes."

I smirked at her. "You should've been more careful, dear."

It was then that she realized how close we were and she instantly pulled herself away from me. At the same time, I also noticed that few people near us witnessed the scene.

I turned to them and said, "Sorry for that. My girlfriend here," I pointed at Red, "was trying to beat my high score," I motioned to the basketball game. "She just lost her balance so… we apologize for this little scene we made." I turned to Red. "Right, babe?"

Hating having attention on her, she begrudgingly nodded her head and the people went back to their own businesses, others giving us "awws" and smiles.

I put an arm around her shoulder. "We should leave."

She allowed me to guide her out of the arcade zone – probably due to embarrassment – but as soon as we were back to the center of the mall, she removed my hand from her shoulder. "I am not your girlfriend!"

I ignored what she said and said, "'Thanks for saving me back there, Jace.' 'Yeah, Red, you're welcome. That was nothing.'"

Her face turned red and she looked away from me. Why does she always do that? "Thank you."

"I told you, it was nothing," I replied.

"Just… don't tell others that I'm your girlfriend again," she said.

"I can't promise," I replied.

I walked towards the railings and looked down at the rectangular view of the floors below. She followed me. "Come to think of it," she said. "I won more games than you."

I looked at my right and saw what seemed to be a proud smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile, too. "Okay, you win. Let's name you the Arcade Games Princess."

She started to laugh but then stopped when a sound came from her stomach.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, half-chuckling.

She looked down at her tummy and nodded. "I guess so."

"Then we should grab some snacks and maybe go see the art exhibit on the ground floor later."

Upon hearing that, she turned her head towards where I was looking before and saw the art exhibit two floors below us that I spied a little while ago. She nodded her head excitedly. "Okay!"

We started to walk our way towards Sbarro that I know was on the other side of this floor.

"Why didn't I know that there's an art exhibit today?" Red asked herself. "I always know when. This is a first time."

I decided not to break her from her mystery.

"Why?" she asked again. "What's wrong with me?"

This time, I decided to answer. "Maybe you were too focused thinking about me?" I suggested.

She stopped walking and looked up at me. "Please don't start again. I'm too hungry to have an argument right now."

I chuckled a little at that. "Then stop asking yourself why or what you didn't know. I'm too hungry to hear someone moping, whatsoever."

She glared at me but breaks into a smile. "Now you're becoming less annoying."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "When was I ever annoying?"

She seemed to think for a while but before she could open her mouth, a voice suddenly says, "Jace?"

I know that voice. I know it too well, much to my dislike.

"Jace? Is that you?"

I know I shouldn't turn to face the owner of the voice. Red gave me a questioning look and when I refused to meet her gaze, she turned her head ahead, to the owner of the voice.

"Jace?" the voice asked again.

This time, I turn. And then I froze.

**-The End-**

* * *

I hope you liked it!

Please continue on supporting this.

And if you didn't know, I have a new story, _**Love Rain**_**. **Please check it out!

Leave some reviews, maybe? I really love hearing from you!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | July 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's Note**

Look, an update! :)

And as usual, I'll take this time to thank all of you for all the support and love you've been giving to this story. I can't express how much I'm grateful to have readers like you. You know, having people looking forward to your story is such a great (and effective) motivator when writing. So I hope you'll just keep on supporting this story :)

ALSO, allow me shamelessly ask for your help. I recently joined a writing contest and maybe you could help me to win by liking me entry? Here's the link: 2015/07/07/past-by-divina-salvador. html . ... you could like it with your facebook account or give it a heart. I would really appreciate it. But if you wouldn't bother, then I'm also fine with it :)

So… what are we waiting for? Here's chapter 14!

P.S. Sorry for last chapter's cliffhanger :P Now let's see if any of you got it right.

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 14: Ghost of the Past**_

**-CLARY-**

"Jace? Is that you?" The same voice that interrupted Jace and I, said.

I tilted my head upwards and shot Jace a questioning look. Why isn't he answering the person? He avoided my gaze and I didn't know what to do so I turned to the direction where the voice was coming from and saw four people standing – a man, woman, a little girl, and a little boy.

"Jace?" The man, who looked to be in his late thirties, asked again.

I was about to ask Jace if he knew this man when I felt him turn to the direction of the voice, too. And then I felt his whole body tense.

I saw the woman tug at the arm of the man, whispering something to him but it seemed like he didn't hear her at all. "Jace? It's you, isn't it?" He started to walk towards us, the woman tensing up behind him. He stopped about two feet away from us. His lips moved to form words and though the voice was hushed, I heard what he said. "My son"

Jace drew a deep breath and I looked down at my left only to see him clench his fist. "Dad," he said in a controlled voice.

Jonathan often teased me that at times, I'm too naïve and insensitive to know some things that are not openly revealed. But judging the atmosphere of the situation right now, I could tell that Jace and his father's relationship may be not at its best.

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other while I stood audience along with the woman – who I assume to be his mother – and the two kids, who are probably his siblings. And suddenly, I felt like I'm an intruder.

I started to step slowly to the side when I felt Jace's swift arm grab me by my wrist. "How rude of me," he said, and for a moment, I was afraid that he would introduce me as his girlfriend to his family, which would be a lot of trouble. Telling strangers that I'm his girlfriend is already unforgiveable, telling his family is just so out of the question. "Dad, this is..." he paused, as if trying to remember my name, which I doubt he knew because all he had been calling me were endearments and 'Red'. "Clary," he finally said and without my permission, my heart skipped a beat – surprised that he actually knew my name, "a friend of mine."

Four sets of eyes turned to me and all I wanted to do was to just melt where I was standing. He nudged me and pointed to the man. "This is my father."

I awkwardly bowed at Jace's father and he shook my hands. "It's nice to meet you," he said.

"It's also nice to meet you, sir," I replied.

Jace must have looked at the other members of their family because his father looked behind him before he motioned for them to come closer to us. And it's weird because his mother seemed nervous and his father, too.

All the while Jace was still tense beside me. I really want to leave now but his hand is still around my wrist.

"Jace," his father spoke. He pointed to the woman, who I now realized looked nothing like Jace, with her dark hair and deep blue eyes. "This is Amatis, my… wife." He motioned to the kids. "And this is Austin and Stella your siblings." He paused as if waiting for Jace to say something. When he didn't, he went on. "Amatis, this is my son. Austin, Stella, this is your older brother, Jace."

I tried to stifle a gasp as Jace's hold on my wrist tightened and I could only hope my face didn't give away my shock. So that explains the atmosphere. Why Jace didn't respond to the voice at first. Why his father and his second wife were nervous. Why Jace was tense.

Amatis tried to smile at Jace. "I-it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Stephen."

"I wish I could say the same about you," Jace replied. "But my dad never talked to me for the past ten years, so don't be surprised that I haven't heard about you."

His father said, "Jace," with a warning tone. I tugged his arm by bringing down the wrist he's holding.

He finally released it then said, "Are you guys hungry? We're on our way to have snack. You should come with us." When his father opened his mouth, Jace said, "It's my treat. Surely, you wouldn't deprive me of the chance of treating my siblings."

Without waiting for his father's reply, Jace started to walk and tugged my arm when I didn't follow him. He was walking fast so I gave a quick smile to his father and his second family and muttered, "Nice to meet you," before jogging to catch up with him.

I slowed down to a walk when I reached his side. I dared not speak because I'm kind of afraid of him. And besides, I didn't know what to say.

"Are they following?" Although he tried to control his voice, I could hear the anger – and sadness.

I glanced behind us. "Yes."

He nodded. When we reached Sbarro, he quickly entered and looked for a table for six. We sat and waited before they arrived. His father seemed embarrassed but ordered nonetheless. After the waiter left, the atmosphere in the table was starting to get heavy but it was lightened by the excited kids.

The boy, who had his mother's hair and eyes, looked excitedly up at Jace. "Are you really my brother?"

Jace looked surprised for a moment and looked down at the boy before he nodded. "What's your name again?" His voice was the gentlest he could muster with the situation at hand, which wasn't much. Much to the meaning of the situation to Jace, I couldn't help but think that he sounded like a teenage boy forced to babysit his neighbor's son.

The boy was smiling. "I'm Austin, and I'm eight years old." He held out his hand to Jace, who hesitantly shook it and said, "What's your name? I forgot."

"Jace"

"I'm Stella!" The girl, who has Jace's and their father's fair hair, chimed in. "And I'm the cutest and prettiest six year old girl in the world."

Before I could stop myself, I giggled a little. She sounded like Jace. And I immediately clamped a hand over my mouth. Fortunately, everyone in the table looked entertained. Mr. and Mrs. Herondale were recovering from their laughter and even Jace was smiling. Austin, however, was wearing an obviously faked annoyance on his face. "Stop lying, Tela."

Stella crossed her arms. "But I'm not lying. Right, Mama?"

Amatis Herondale stroked her daughter's blonde head as she replied, "Of course you are the prettiest, my dear. You even have your hair as your crown."

_Just like Jace_, I thought.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" Stella's voice asked again but this time, the question was directed at Jace.

Jace, who seemed to be finally relaxing a little, said, "Yes."

I couldn't help but smile at the bright face of Jace's sister. "Can I sit on your lap?" she asked.

For a moment, silence took place over our table. I sneaked a glance at Amatis and Stephen, whose hands were reaching for their daughter, but Stella was already walking towards Jace. She stood by the side of his chair, her head craning upwards to look at her brother. "Can I?"

With a deep breath, Jace nodded. Stella grinned and tried to scramble up Jace's lap but miserably failed so she stretched her hands instead and Jace carried her and positioned her on his lap. Austin stomped his fist on the table, pouting at his brother and sister. "I want, too."

"You can't!" Stella said and put out her tongue in a teasing manner.

I felt Jace shift beside me. I saw in my peripheral vision that he was struggling to keep Stella on his lap. He was too stiff and a thought hit me that he might have never taken care of a child before. It's possible, because in all honesty, the Jace Herondale I met didn't look child-friendly, with all his playboy charms and sarcastic nature.

"Let me, too!" I heard Austin insist. "Tela, pleaaaase? Are you going to say no to your brother?"

Stella shook her head. "I have a nicer brother now."

"Austin," I heard Stephen Herondale say. "Don't push your sister. And aren't you too old to be sitting on your brother's lap?"

Jace's brother pouted his lip and then proceeded to just examine the walls, his long fingers tapping on the table.

Stephen looked at his other two children. "Stella, get off your brother now. And be nicer to Austin, okay?"

Stella's fair hair shook in the air as she moved her head from left to right. "I like it here." As if not wanting to talk to her father, she turned her head to her right. And her wide blue eyes are blinking at me curiously, as if she had just now noticed I was here.

"Who are you?" she asked.

I smiled at her. "I'm Clary, I'm –"

"Are you Jace's girlfriend?" she asked innocently.

I felt my cheeks warm as I shook my head. "I am not," I said. "I'm a friend of your brother." I knew 'friend' was not the right term. But I figured it was the proper one to use. What else was I supposed to say? That her brother and I actually are enemies, which we really are not? That he tutors me even though we always fight? That I only knew him because I walked in on him making out with someone? Nope.

She was about to say something else when our orders arrived. Her attention instantly turned to the food. She clapped her hands in excitement and her mother called for her. Jace helped her down. After that, we proceeded to eat in the awkward silence that returned when the kids' energy all focused on the food.

Some minutes later, we cleared the food and Jace asked for the receipt. Stella and Austin complained of needing to go the restroom and their mother volunteered to see to them. I was left alone with Jace and his father and the awkwardness and heavy atmosphere seemed to escalate five times. I was about to excuse myself when my phone rang. Perfect timing. I excused myself from father and son and went to answer my phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Simon? Why did you call me?"

"Helloooooo?"

It was noisy at the other end of the line; I don't think anyone could actually hear me.

I tried once more. "Simon? Hello?"

"Yo, Clary!" Simon's voice said. "What's the call for?"

I internally sighed. "You're the one who called me."

I heard Simon's gasp through the speaker. "I must have accidentally dialled you. Ugh. I really hate this touch-screen phone, always doing mysterious stuff whenever I put it on my pocket."

I let myself laugh. "By the way, what's that noise in the background?"

"Oh. My band's having its first practice!"

"Really? So you were really serious about it. I'm so glad for you."

"Yep. I'm so glad for myself too." Simon paused for a while. "So how's the date going with Jace Herondale?" He gasped exaggeratingly. "I didn't interrupt badly, did I?"

I shook my head even though I knew Simon won't see it. "No, no. You called at a perfect time, actually."

"Why, was he harassing you?" his voice sounded alarmed.

"No, no! It's nothing like that! It's just…" I'm not sure Simon should know about this. Heck, I'm not even sure if _I _should know about this.

"Okay," Simon said. "Maybe that's just something between you two. I'll have to go now, though, or Eric might leave the band."

A grateful smile made it into my lips. "Okay. Good luck with your band!"

Simon ended the call and put my phone back to my bag. I was about to go back to the table when I noticed that it was still only Jace and Stephen Herondale at the table. Though both of them didn't move much, I could say they were in a conversation.

I waited for more minutes and then Jace slumped back on his chair after receiving something from his father. I wasn't sure if it was alright for me to join them when I saw Stella and Austin race towards their brother and father, with Amatis Herondale walking a few feet behind them. It was the cue I was waiting for – it's okay for me to come back.

Upon my return, I learned that the bill was already paid and we were ready to go. The farewell went much better than the first meeting. Jace's voice sounded less controlled and he said his goodbyes to Stephen and Amatis Herondale politely. Stella and Austin hugged him tight, saying that they want to see their brother again.

When the family left, Jace and I stayed where we were left standing, enveloped in a silence that I'm afraid to break.

Finally, Jace decided to break it. "Well, where do you want to go now?" He almost sounded like his usual self, but the smile on his face could barely pass as a smile at all.

"Um… to your car?" I suggested lamely. "You decide."

He seemed to think for a while and then to my surprise, took my hand and led me to the exit of the mall. "To my car, it is!"

* * *

I have no idea what time it is but checking my phone seemed to be improper and I just had to forget my watch today. But judging by the scene at the sky, it looked as if it's around three thirty or four o'clock in the afternoon. The air was getting chilly, thanks to the just-arrived Christmas month.

Jace had taken me to the Lightwood Academy school field, to the bench where I always sat whenever I get a free time every afternoon after class. The school field was never empty, even on the weekends. Athletes and organizations and all kinds of people always go here to do their businesses. However, today, it looked deserted. It was even clean, no evidence of the game that took place yesterday.

We've been sitting here for approximately ten minutes already, which felt like forever to me. Jace Herondale was just staring off into space, as if I wasn't here at all.

I don't know about him and his family but judging by his actions right now I could tell that it was bad. Being an introvert and all, I like silences and I feel at peace with them. This is the first time that I'm hating silence. I want to talk to him, even if it's not about his family – I just want him to stop acting like someone who's lost in mourning.

Should I talk to him? A part of me says I shouldn't, but there's also the other part saying that I should. He probably wanted to talk about it, too, right? If he wanted to be alone, he could have just driven me home and then went here to be on his own, right? Why bring me along?

I swallowed a non-existent lump in my throat. "Do you… uh… want to talk about it?" Stupid, Clary. Now is not the right time for your stuttering.

Seconds and minutes flew by without him saying anything, as if he didn't hear my question. And I didn't ask him again in fear of angering him. I just sat there, staring at the blue sky, wondering how long I should stay with someone who's here and not here at the same time.

Parts of my body were already starting to ache, telling me to leave, but I willed myself to endure. I was sure Jace Herondale wouldn't even notice if I leave right now, but part of me wanted to stay. The same part of me that was hopelessly waiting for him to say something, _anything_.

"Austin." Jace Herondale's voice was hushed but I heard him. I instantly turned my head to my right. His eyes were fixed at the sky. "I was the same age as him when my father left."

I felt two different emotions when I heard that. First was gladness, because he actually heard my question and now, he's answering me. Second was sadness, because eight was such a young age to see your father leave.

"It was the day after I performed in front of the school for the annual end-of-classes show. The night before it, I thought I heard him and Mom having an argument but my nanny wouldn't let me downstairs and she stayed in my room until I had fallen asleep.

"When I woke up, my nannies were busy. One was preparing my clothes and the other was setting up breakfast in bed. They told me we were going to the park and that my parents were actually allowing me to play with the common kids. I was powered up by the excitement and in no time, I was all set to go. I guess I got too excited, because I forgot to kiss my parents goodbye and I didn't notice that the house was unusually silent.

"I had thought that would be the happiest day of my life. It was the first time that I was allowed to play with the other kids besides Alec and Isabelle. It was the first time that I made friends, albeit temporary ones. It was the first time that I had felt freedom from the constraints of my mother's work. Little did I know that I was wrong." He stopped to take a deep breath.

I wonder what his mother's profession was.

"I was excited to go home that day because I badly wanted to tell my mom and dad about the fun I had. But when I entered the living room, only my mom was there. She turned to the door at the sound of my arrival and as if on cue, my nannies went somewhere else. She then motioned me with her hands and I ran into her in an embrace. It was the tightest hug my mother had given me and I giggled a little before I stopped when I realized that she was shaking and she was making weird sounds. When she broke the embrace, I saw the one picture of my mother that still haunts me to this day.

"Her eyes were glossy with tears and dark bags were under them. Her nose was red. Her cheeks were wet with the tears endlessly rolling from her eyes. And her usually perfect hair was dishevelled. Her whole body was shaking as she sobbed while she kept on saying my name and that she loved me.

"I didn't know what was wrong with my mother but I cried anyway. Seeing her like that was enough to bring me to tears. I let her hug me, let her wet me with her tears as she continued on crying. Afterwards, when her crying subsided, I asked her, 'What's wrong, Mommy?' and she said, 'Your father just left Jace' and I was confused and asked again, 'When will he come back?' and my mother looked at me with such sorrow in her eyes as she said, 'He's never coming back, my son'."

Jace's eyes looked distant as he remembered the past. "And he never came back. I secretly hoped that he would at least call me once, but he didn't. He never went to my school, never went to my birthday parties. It's as if he just disappeared. I never saw him again."

"Until today," I said before I could even stop myself.

As though he only had noticed me now, he turned his head and looked at me. "Yes. He just suddenly appeared like a ghost, bringing with him the happiest and most painful of memories."

"What about your mother?" I asked without thinking. Shoot. No. I just did not. No. I take it back. I didn't ask that. I'm sorry.

"She changed," was his reply and I was actually surprised and relieved at the same time because he didn't mind that I asked. "She was an actress before. I'm not sure if you know her but she was pretty popular back then. She went by her maiden name, Celine Wright. After my dad left, she became picky on roles to take. She became inactive in the industry until four years ago, she finally gave up acting and just focused on modelling."

The name Celine Wright did ring a bell.

"She became stricter with me, too. She never allowed me to play in the park again. Heck, she didn't even allow me to the play houses in the malls. She never let me go without someone looking after me. Before I knew it was purely because she was afraid of her fans and anti's, but as I came of age, I realized it was also because she wanted to make sure I don't see my dad or my dad doesn't see me. She also made me try several things, just so I would forget about him.

"You wouldn't believe it," he scoffed. "But until now she's keeping an eye on me. She even only allowed me to join the football team if I promised to keep my academics intact. She wanted me to do well in almost everything just so she could slap her ex-husband with the perfect son that she raised alone."

I felt my heart slowly break with every sentence that he finished. I wanted to ask him to stop. I was only hearing the story and yet it hurts me, what more of him, who was the center of the story? "Well… Your mom was surely hurt by what happened. Maybe that's why she did those things."

He nodded his head. "I guess so. I understand her, by the way. I don't have any resentment for her." He returned his eyes on me. "There you have it, the fucked up story that is the Herondale family."

My eyes widened as he said that. I was about to open my mouth when he interrupted me. "Hush. It's okay. Look at me – stunningly handsome, talented, has a pleasant personality, and intelligent. Of course there should be a black hole. It would be unfair to the world if I had everything, right? So maybe the fate-weavers said, 'Look, a perfect human – too perfect. This shouldn't be so let's go screw with his family.'" There was a weak smile on his lips that didn't reach his eyes.

Under other circumstances, I would have told him that he didn't really have a pleasant personality. Instead, I shook my head and said, "Humor isn't always the solution to everything, you know."

He seemed to examine me for a while. He blinked once. "Sometimes, you really should shut that mouth of yours." And then he swiftly grabbed my arm and pushed me to the edge of the bench where we were sitting. It happened so fast I wasn't able to react or protest.

I sat frozen, my heart beating erratically as I tried to calm my breathing. Jace Herondale's head rested on my lap, his long legs folded to fit in the luckily long bench, his left hand holding my right. My stomach felt like a thousand butterflies where flapping their wings wildly.

"Thank you." His voice was barely a whisper.

"I-it's okay," I replied.

A moment of silence.

"Let's just forget this ever happened."

"O-okay" But we both knew we could never forget this.

I tried to pry my hand away from him but he only tightened his hold. "Just let me close my eyes for a while."

"But what do you need my hand for?"

He didn't reply. He kept silent and I thought he really had fallen asleep when he whispered, "Warmth."

I was glad that he couldn't see me because I was pretty sure my cheeks were pink. I let him hold my hand. A silence settled again and like most of the time, I welcomed it. It had suddenly occurred to me that this is the first comfortable and peaceful time that Jace Herondale and I are sharing.

"So much for our first date, huh," he broke the silence, obviously trying to lighten up the mood.

I knew he wouldn't see the smile but I smiled nonetheless. "Our first and last date."

Despite himself, he chuckled. "You are one cruel girl."

_And you are one broken boy._

* * *

It's close to midnight and I know I should go to sleep now or else I'll be late again tomorrow. But my thoughts won't leave me alone. First off, Jonathan hasn't woken up from his coma and the doctors are losing hope. Second, I haven't finished my painting of Sebastian Morgenstern yet and it keeps on bugging me. Third, the date of our third math exam is coming and I'm not fully confident. Lastly, my date with Jace Herondale that didn't went as I expected. At the moment, the third one bugged me the most.

They say two people go on a date in hopes of getting to know each other better. When I woke up this morning, I thought my date with Jace Herondale would turn into a disaster. But I was wrong. I don't know if Jace got to know some parts of me, but I'm fairly certain that I got to know a part of him today.

Today, I was able to meet Jace Herondale, a son whose heart was broken by his father. Jace, who knew how to care, who experienced something a child should not have had. I had wondered before why he was cocky, so rude, mean, so nonchalant about life. I realized now why. Behind all his actions was a child who grew up so lonely. And I hate myself, because I had been quick to judge him. I let my first impression of him cloud me from trying to know him. I thought about this and that, then let this and that be imprinted on my mind.

Jace Herondale is a jerk, I have thought many times before. It's true that most of our encounters support that but there should be something else to a person more than being a jerk, right?

_You call my kindness an act of showing off?_ he had asked me today. And I hadn't really believed him at first, I even accused him of pretending. But why? WHY, CLARY? Why wasn't I able to see through him, that he was capable of being nice? He did help me with Trigonometry, more than once. He took me to the hospital when I asked him to. And yet, I still thought of him in a negative way.

It's true that I had hated the idea of having a date with him today. But that was several hours ago. Truth be told, I'm actually thankful for today. I think I now understand a little bit of the sophisticated artwork that is Jace Herondale. Maybe one day, I could finally see through all his walls, and that's when I would finally acknowledge these weird emotions he had been stirring up in me.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

It's pretty sad, I guess. But every story has to have a melancholic factor, right? :D haha.

Well, I could only hope you still liked this chapter.

Thank you for reading!

Reviews, maybe? (:

Also, if you didn't know yet, I have a new story – _**Love Rain**_. If you have more time, maybe you could also check it out :D

I love you all! God Bless, everyone! :)

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | July 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Note**

Apologies! I suffered (still suffering) from a major writer's block so I wasn't able to update this story as I planned to.

Also, for those who are in need of a beta right now, you can go to _ICanExplain_, s/he's an unofficial beta!

I know some of you are annoyed or maybe even disappointed that it took me too long to update. Well, I can only say one thing: Be glad that I'm even continuing this story! :P

Here's chapter 15, and please don't expect much.

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 15: Quiet Days**_

**-CLARY-**

It's finally finished.

I looked at it one more time and I couldn't help the pride that surged through me. No biases about my feelings or model or what, but I could say this is definitely one of my best works yet.

The only problem, though, was how I am supposed to give this to Sebastian Morgenstern. It would be too hard to bring to school and besides, its size would attract unwanted attention.

I heard the door of our mini study open and when I turned my head to it, I saw mom standing, watching me. I quickly turned the painting around so she wouldn't see it.

There was a little smile on my mother's face. "What was that?"

"I… ah… a portrait of someone," I replied.

My mom raised an eyebrow. "But honey, you never did portraits." She started to make her way to where I was and I was growing nervous. She stopped in front of me. "Whose portrait is it?"

I lowered my eyes, knowing I can't leave without telling her the truth. "Umm… I met someone in school. He saw me drawing once and volunteered to be my model. I couldn't say no." I lifted my eyes. "He was nice, mom, so I couldn't say no. And I thought about you wanting me to socialize more so…"

"It's okay, dear," Mom said, smiling at me. "You don't have to explain, I understand. I'm really glad that you're really slowly getting out of your shell. And I won't push you if you don't want to show me your painting."

"Thank you, Mom," I replied as I hugged her. However, I made no move to show her my painting. It's not just because of Sebastian Morgenstern. I'm still not confident enough of my skills in the arts and compared to Mom, mine is close to nothing.

"By the way, how's Jonathan?"

Mom's expression fell as she shook her head. "No changes yet. Your father's staying with him tonight."

Dad. Ever since the accident, he had been the most worried out of all of us.

Mom tried to smile again. "I think you should go to bed now. It's getting late and I wouldn't want you cramming tomorrow for school." She didn't say the obvious – Jonathan couldn't wake me up as usual, the thing I've been missing for the past ten days.

"Okay, mom. Good night." I kissed her cheek before going to my room, carrying the painting with me.

When I arrived, I placed the painting on my chair on a standing position and plunged down my bed. I'm still worried on how to give it to him. Without me knowing it, I was already reaching for my phone, dialling a number that I'm now all familiar with.

He answered on the first ring. "What's up?"

"Oh, Simon, I don't know."

"You don't know what?"

"Sebastian Morgenstern's painting. Do you remember when he volunteered to be my model? Well, I just finished his portrait today but I don't know how to give it to him."

"Well, shouldn't you just bring it to school and hand it over to him?"

"No," I answered. "Its size will draw too much attention."

Simon laughed a little. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you agreed to make him a portrait, right?"

I sighed. "You're right. But I can't go back in time now, can I?"

"You can't, so you'll just have to face this problem."

"Hmm…"

"Hey!" Simon said. "Have I told you of how I met Isabelle Lightwood at the cemetery last week?"

Oh, right. I had almost forgotten about it.

"Nope. You still owe me that story."

"Okay, okay." Simon's voice was excited. "So I went there to visit my sister Rebecca for her anniversary. Just as I was leaving, I bumped into someone and though it might sound creepy, the person smelled really nice. When I looked to see who the person is, I was surprised to see the very beautiful Isabelle Lightwood.

"Her initial reaction was of surprise, then confusion, and finally anger. She thought I was stalking her again – which, I repeat, I was not – and then she was about to slap me when I suddenly grabbed her wrist. She must have smelled the flowers and dirt on my hand because her eyes widened as she dropped her hand.

"She said she was sorry and Clary, I have never heard and seen someone say sorry as beautiful as her. I can't exactly remember what happened next but we somehow ended up walking together and talking about our dead siblings. Did you know her brother was only nine when he died? He had been so sickly ever since he was a toddler. I told her about my sister and she actually tore up.

"When it was time for us to part ways, she told me it was nice having a talk with me and thanked me for my time. On the other hand, I thanked her too and said sorry about my stalking her in the past. She actually laughed a little at that and asked me to promise to not do it again. I promised and God, Clary, she smiled at me before she said goodbye and left."

I could hear Simon's hurried breathing as he finished his story. "Wow," I said. "That's not too bad, huh."

"I think so," Simon replied. "I think fate is actually starting to make her realize we're soul mates because… wanna know why?"

"Why?" I asked even though I had an idea.

"We met again this afternoon!" I couldn't help but smile at my friend's happiness.

"So… are you going to tell me about it?"

"No." His voice was defiant, challenging, even.

"Why?"

"Because there are some things that are better off not shared with anyone."

"Okay, okay, you win."

There was silence before he spoke again. "How's your brother, by the way?"

I sighed. "He's still into his Sleeping Beauty act; I wish his princess would come wake him soon."

"Oh, Clary," Simon's voice was sympathetic. "He would wake up soon, just have faith."

I nodded. "I miss him."

"I'm sure you do. And you know what he would say if he's there outside your room right now?"

"What?"

"He'd tell you to go to sleep so you'd wake up early tomorrow."

Simon's right. "How did you know that?"

I imagined Simon shrugging. "When I came to pick you up for Isabelle's party and I saw him… I just had this feeling that he's that kind of brother. Wanna know what else I thought when I saw him?"

"What?"

"I could tell that he really cares for you."

I closed my eyes and felt the heat of tears behind my lid. "Thank you, Simon."

"Good night, Clary."

I hung up.

Oh, Jonathan. Please wake up soon. I miss you.

* * *

I almost drowned on my iced tea.

"What did you say?" I asked Alec Lightwood again.

He has this amused look on his face. "I asked if you have a boyfriend."

So I heard him right the first time. "Um… what do you think?" I hesitantly asked.

He acted as if he's examining me carefully and then shrugged. "I don't know."

"I don't," I said. "But why do you want to know?"

Alec took a bite off of his tuna sandwich. "I was just curious."

"How about you?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "How about me, what?"

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "You have no escape. I asked you if you have a girlfriend."

He smiled back at me. "I don't," he replied and turned his attention back to his sandwich.

I also took the last bite on my banana waffle and a silence settled on us. I had been thinking about my tutorial session before lunch when Alec asked me about having a boyfriend.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," Alec replied. "What is it?"

I hesitated for a second before I said, "Is your best friend sick?"

Something passed over Alec's face but he quickly covered it with a nonchalant expression. "I knew it. You like him," he said.

"I don't!" I said a little too defensively.

Alec laughed. "I thought you weren't friends, why are you concerned with his well-being?"

"I… ah… I think we're going there. To the friends zone, I mean."

"Okay." He was silent for a while. "To be honest, we haven't talked to each other since Saturday. But what made you think he's not alright?"

I don't know how to answer. Am I supposed to tell him what happened during my date with Jace Herondale? Am I even supposed to tell him that I had a date with his best friend? "I just…"

"Let me guess," Alec said. "Your life has been pretty quiet, hasn't it? And you're missing Jace, who's always somewhat meddling with your life."

And I'm suddenly afraid of Alec, because I now realized what he said was true. It had only been three days since our date, and I'm missing Jace Herondale and his pesky attitude.

I sighed. "I should leave now, Alec."

"Hey," Alec grabbed my arm. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

I shook my head. "I know you're only joking." To prove that I'm not really mad, I smiled at him.

He returned the smile. "Okay, I'll no longer hold you back, you can go."

I waved him goodbye and as he raised his hand, he said, "Nice contacts, by the way."

* * *

I put my hands on my head. "It's too hard."

"No, Clary," Simon said. "You just have to concentrate."

I lifted my head and looked at Simon from across the table. "No, Simon, it's really hard. How can he be brutal? Not anyone can easily create a haiku and a poem plus a short story!"

Simon's hand didn't stop writing on his paper as he said, "Well, it's Creative Writing. We can't do anything about it if he wants poems and haikus for requirements. He's the teacher."

I pouted as I stared at my blank paper. I suddenly hate the silence here in the library. All it does is to give my mind a chance to wander off on different issues not related to creating a literary piece.

"You know," Simon started again, "it's actually pretty easy, if you put your heart to it."

"You're only saying that because you have an inspiration."

Simon stopped writing. "How about you? You have Jace Herondale and Sebastian Morgenstern. You should be producing collections of poems now."

"Simon!" I whisper-yelled as I felt my cheeks flush. "Don't say such things."

He laughed a quite laugh and when he returned his eyes on me, he was smiling. "By the way, have you figured out how to give Sebastian Morgenstern his portrait?"

I shook my head. "Actually, I'm planning to talk to him about it this afternoon."

Simon wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh. The moves."

"Stop it!" I scolded. "I told you it was just a childish crush."

Simon scoffed. "Childish or whatever, first love never dies."

I have no response to that so I didn't say anything. I just continued to stare at my blank draft.

"It would be awkward, you know," Simon broke the silence that settled.

My eyes stayed fixed on my paper. "What would be awkward?"

"You and Sebastian Morgenstern," he replied. "I mean, if you become a thing."

"The surname," I sighed. I've been thinking about it, too. Wondering how his Verlac changed. "I know, Si, but it's not like I'm going to marry him." Just the thought of marriage was enough to make me blush. "Why are you thinking ahead for me?"

Simon chuckled a little. "It just crossed my mind. I mean, you've always been cute but I think you're actually putting an effort on making yourself look better these days. So I thought maybe you were trying to look good for someone."

"Stop," I mumbled. "What makes you think that?"

He pointed at my face. "First, the contacts."

"I… I was just trying them out."

Simon leaned toward me. "Are those clear? Wow, you have beautiful green eyes."

His comment made me blink many times.

"Where did you get the idea of wearing contacts? I think I want to try, too."

"Jace Herondale," I answered without thinking and immediately regretted it.

Simon's smile was malicious. "I smell something fishyyyyy."

I shook my head. "Don't start it, Simon."

"So… how did your Trigo lessons went with this morning?"

"It was good. But if you're expecting me to tell you what Jace Herondale did to me, you'll get nothing because he wasn't the tutor." Without my permission, I once again felt the disappointment that attacked me when I saw the brown–haired girl approach me for the tutorial.

Simon made a 'tsk' sound. "What happened in your date that made him lose interest in you?"

"What?" I asked. "What are you talking about? He didn't lose interest in me because he was _never_ interested in me in the first place."

He scoffed. "Really? Then why did he make a deal with you about a date? Because he wanted to. Why would he want it? Because he's interested in you."

I don't like it when what Simon says actually makes sense. "It's not possible," I said. "Why would a campus star like him take interest on a wallflower like me? Maybe he was just bored."

Simon shrugged. "For the time that we've been friends, I could definitely tell that you're a likeable person. You have a unique charm, you know. Maybe you charmed Jace Herondale."

I didn't reply right away. I didn't know what to say. Was what Simon said is true? I refuse to believe it, or even acknowledge its possibility. No, it couldn't be. Simon's judgment was wrong.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, someone interrupted us. "Excuse me," the voice said. "Are you perhaps, Simon Lewis?"

Simon and I both looked up to see a light brown-skinned girl with brown-gold hair looking at us – at Simon, to be exact. Something about her was familiar, as if I've seen her before. "Uh… Yes, I am. Why?" Simon asked.

The girl extended an arm. "I'm Maia Roberts."

Simon reluctantly shook the girl's hand. "Um… this may sound rude but, what do you want with me?"

The girl – Maia – laughed a little too loudly for a library. "I'm one of your band mates' friends. I just thought I should get to know the founder." Maybe I was not in my right mind but I thought I heard a covert agenda in her voice.

A light blush made its way into Simon's cheeks. "I… ah, don't know what to say." Typical Simon.

"Would you like to sit here, perhaps?" I offered, pointing to the chair beside me.

Maia smiled at me before taking the seat and it's when I realized why she looked familiar. "Hey," I said. "You're that girl I bumped into in the corridor before. Was it last week?"

She looked at me with an interested expression on her face. "Now that you mention it," she said, "you do look familiar. And I'm not sure if it was last week but… your name is Carrie, right?"

Simon laughed and I smiled as I shook my head. "It's actually Clary," I said.

"Oh," she said, "apologies." She offered her hand, "Nice to meet you, again, Clary."

I shook it. "Same here."

After that, she instantly turned her attention to Simon. "When will your next band practice be?"

Simon thought for a while. "Let me see… I, ah, think it's this weekend."

"Where?" Maia asked.

"Kirk's garage," Simon replied.

"What time?" Maia asked. "Can I come and watch?" And then came again the feeling that something's off with her. Why couldn't she just ask Simon's band mate, who she claimed was her friend, about these details?

Simon answered, happy that someone was interested in his band. "It's at nine in the morning and sure. Who among my band mates is your friend by the way?"

Maia smiled. "Thanks," she said and pretended to look at her watch. "I should get going now. See you this weekend!"

Before Simon or I could say anything, she was already jogging away from us.

"That was… weird," Simon said afterwards.

I nodded my head. "Yeah. And she didn't even tell you who her friend was."

Simon nodded. "But she's cute."

"Boys" I rolled my eyes. "Let's just get back to work."

* * *

I didn't expect him to see me right away. I had planned to sit here and wait for their practice to be over before I go to him. And now he's jogging towards me, his pale hair gleaming with sweat, his eyes focused on me, his lips curved into a smile. My heart's beating fast.

"Hey," Sebastian Morgenstern said as he stood in front of me. "I haven't seen you in a while."

His smile was melting me. "Hi," I replied. "I, ah, actually wanted to talk to you."

The smile on his face didn't leave. "Really? Is this about my portrait?"

I nodded.

"Good," he said. "I was beginning to think you're going to bail out."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't do that."

His head moved to look around me. "I'm sorry, but I don't see any painting…?"

Panic almost consumed me when I saw the dismay on his face. "Um… Actually…"

"What?" He asked with a sad voice. "You're not doing it anymore, are you?"

"It's done," I blurted out. "It's actually done. But there's um… a problem."

He looked concerned now as he sat beside me. "What? What's the problem? Tell me and I'll help you."

For a moment, I wasn't able to respond. He sounded much like he did years ago, when he told me he'd protect me from the bullies. I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat. "Its size. I can't…"

Sebastian Morgenstern suddenly laughed. "You can't bring it because it's too big?"

It was too easy to figure out. I nodded, not able to speak again due to the embarrassment. "I'm sorry," I said. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. Maybe if you give me your address, I could just ship it to you. That would be the most convenient way."

"Hey," he said. "That would cost you money."

"But –"

"How about you just come to my house this Saturday? I swear, you bringing a painting wouldn't be a strange sight." He must have sensed my puzzlement because he added, "I'm officially inviting you to my eighteenth birthday celebration. It's this coming Saturday. Lots of people would bring gifts in different forms and sizes. I promise your painting wouldn't catch the attention of many, but still, you should wrap it beautifully, okay?"

I blinked my eyes, not able to believe what he had just said. Is he really inviting me to his birthday party?

He's smiling at me. "Don't say no, please. I've been meaning to invite you. That's why I brought this." He handed me the phone he was holding in one of his hands.

I was hesitant to take it. "What…?"

The smile didn't leave his face. "Here, put your number so I could text you more details about my party."

I still couldn't believe this is happening right now. But I still reluctantly typed my number into his phone. "My name's –"

"Clary," he said and a hundred thousand butterflies fluttered in my stomach. "I do remember your name, you know."

I hope the blush on my face wasn't very visible. "I… I guess you should go back to practice now."

He looked at me, as if wanting to say and stay more but decided not to. "I guess so." He gave me a smile. "See you around. Don't forget my birthday!"

I nodded and waved him goodbye as he ran back towards his teammates.

OH MY GOODNESS.

Did Sebastian Morgenstern really invite me to his birthday party?

"What are you smiling there for?"

I quickly turned my head to where the voice was and felt inward happiness when I saw who the owner was.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

I shook my head and scooted sideward on the bench to give him space. We didn't speak for a while as we sat there, me watching the soccer players play on the field.

"So… do you usually sit here to watch my best friend play?"

"Alec!" I said as I turned to him.

His eyes were smiling. "Wow, my name sounds beautiful when you say it."

I rolled my eyes. "Why are you here, by the way?"

His expression darkened. "I planned to meet Jace but he isn't here. And then I saw you talking to that Sebastian guy. I thought he was harassing you."

"What?" I asked. "What made you think that?"

He shrugged. "He's trying to steal my best friend, who knows if he's also trying to steal my lunch mate."

I didn't stop the smile from forming on my lips. "You're so childish."

"I'm not going to deny that," he said as he chuckled.

I let myself laugh. Maybe a day without the pestering of Jace Herondale is not so dull at all.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Sorrrry! I had a major writer's block and it was hard writing a chapter with no Jace in it! Haha.

I hope you still liked it :) Anyways, I'll try to update very soon, to make it up to you :)

Please review! :D And mind sharing this to your friends, too? c:

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | August 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note**

Sometimes, I ask myself why I can't manage my time. Lots and lots of "Sorry"! I'm really sorry for not updating. It has been ages since my last update. School's getting tough and I also had to deal with some family matters. Anyways, what's important is that I updated, right? :)

Also, I have written this for like, a week already but today's the first time I'm opening my laptop after five days. I have exams and stuff scheduled already and I'm really thankful that I was able to grab this afternoon to have time for my non-academic stuff.

Enough. Here's chapter 16! Enjoy! :D

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 16: Party**_

**-CLARY-**

I should've known.

I shouldn't have come.

Stupid, stupid, Clary.

Of course this was supposed to happen. Of course. Why didn't I think about it before?

This is Sebastian Morgenstern's party. And I don't belong to his social circle.

If only I could see him so I could give him his portrait… I want to leave right now.

As if on cue, he appeared from the crowd, making his way towards me. He's smiling at me and I need to control my pulse.

"You came!" He exclaimed happily. "I've been looking for you."

That simple remark was enough to make me blush; I could already feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. If Sebastian noticed, he didn't mention it.

"I, um… was also looking for you," I said and I motioned to his wrapped painting. "I, ah, brought you a gift."

His smile widened as his eyes landed on the rectangular object. In less than ten seconds, he already has it on one of his hands. He tugged me with the other. "Come," he said as he led me inside his house through his back porch, leaving his pool party behind us.

I had no choice but to follow him and he led me to the stairs. I paused. "Um… where are we going?"

He must have sensed the nervousness in my voice for he laughed a little. "I'm gonna show you something. Besides, I want you to be there when I open this," he lifted his arm that was holding the painting.

The way he said it made me know that I couldn't protest any more. I took a deep breath as I followed him up the marbled stairs of their house. When we arrived at the second floor, a family picture hanging on the wall welcomed me. And even though I only saw it briefly, I couldn't help but notice that he looked nothing like his family members.

I kept following him until he stopped in front of a door. He looked at me. "Well, here's where your work is going to be placed." He opened the door and motioned for me to go in first.

And what I saw was breathtaking. It was a small room but looked rich. Three of its walls were lined with different bookshelves, all containing tons of books. There was a comfortable looking sofa-couch and a lampshade in a corner. A table with a hanging shelf at the wall where it faces was placed on a side of the room.

"Wow," was all I could say. And it still felt like that was an understatement.

"Welcome to my mini library," Sebastian said beside me. I didn't even notice that he was also in the room already. "Do you like it?"

I nodded my head. "It's beautiful," I said.

"It will be even more beautiful when your portrait of me is hanging there," he said as he pointed at a blank space on the wall.

I suddenly wanted to take back the painting. I'm not sure it belongs to a place like this. But before I knew it, he was already taking the covering off, peeling it like a child who got his first gift from Santa.

This time, he was the one to say, "Wow," much to my relief.

"Did you… like it?" I asked.

He looked me in the eye and once again gave me one of his melting smiles. "Very much," he said. "Thank you. I will treasure this forever."

I could only give him a small smile back. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Liked it? I _loved_ it."

_Please stop saying such things; it's making my heart go wild._

Not knowing what else to say, I bent down to pick up the gift wrapper that fell to the floor.

"Hey, you don't have to do that."

"Where's your trash bin?"

He pointed under the table. I made my way to his table, all the while trying to slow down my heart beat, all the while trying to stop blushing.

I felt him stand beside me. I heard the painting being placed on top of the table. Trying not to make eye contact with him, I made my eyes focus on something else. They landed on the hanging bookshelf.

I eyed the titles carefully. "You read poetry," I said before I could even stop myself.

I heard him smile. "I do. There's a certain beauty in poetry, don't you agree?"

My resolve of not making any more eye contact with him was abandoned. "I rarely read them but the few that I've read are amazingly beautiful."

"'_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_'" Sebastian suddenly started.

I was about to open my mouth when he continued. "'_Thou art more lovely and more temperate; Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date;_'

"'_Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest; So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee._'"

He sighed as he finished. And I'm looking at him because the whole time he was reciting, he was looking directly into my eyes. "You memorized it," I said.

He smiled, as if embarrassed. "Shakespeare's Sonnet 18," he said. "It's one of my all time favorites."

"You clearly have recited it to many people before, for you to know it by heart."

He raised an eyebrow. "I beg to disagree. You're one of the few that have heard me recite it. But did you know that even though it's considered his most famous sonnet, people still confuse that the subject in the sonnet was a she?"

"What?!" I asked, feeling ashamed that I'm one of those people.

He nodded. "Some boys use it when wooing girls but what they don't know is that Shakespeare was actually talking about his friend, a young man, in that sonnet."

"Wow," I said, "that's some… trivia for me, thanks."

He laughed a little. "It's okay if you thought otherwise. It was sweet and all so it's normal to think that Shakespeare wrote it for a lady lover."

"I –"

Sebastian's phone rang. For a moment, he looked annoyed but when he saw who the caller was, a slight amusement took over his face. He made a gesture of excusing himself to me. "Yeah?"

He walked to a corner, as far from me as possible in the small room. While he talked to the person on the phone, my eyes roamed around his library once more until finally, it stopped on my painting of him that was lying on the desk.

His eyes and hair are the same eyes and hair of the boy I met eight years ago. I had believed I would never see that boy again. And here I am right now, inside his mini library, on the day of his eighteenth birthday. It's funny how some things resurface and make unimaginable ones happen.

"Hey," Sebastian said as he walked towards me. "They're starting to notice that I'm missing outside, I think it's time for us to rejoin the party."

No. I don't want to go back to that party where I don't belong at all. However, I nodded my head. "Okay."

Once again, I followed him as he led me around his house. In no time, we were back to the party. "Clary," he said before we finally parted ways, "I'm really thankful for the portrait."

"No problem," I replied. "Happy Birthday"

He looked at me and moved towards me, slowly closing the distance between us. He kissed the top of my head. "Thank you for coming to my party," he whispered. Then he smiled at me and finally went to entertain more of his guests.

He kissed the top of my head.

He kissed the top of my head.

He kissed the top of my head.

I put a hand over my chest as I tried to regularize the beating of my heart.

After one big inhale, I turned my back to leave when someone put their hand around my shoulder. "Going somewhere?" The voice said. "Leaving the party already?"

This time, my heart started to beat even faster. "Jace Herondale"

He turned me around so I could face him. "Missed me, darling?"

My heart beat slowed down by two notches. "Didn't I tell you not to call me endearments?"

Jace Herondale smiled. "Oh, honey. You should know by now that I don't really listen to whatever you tell me."

"I noticed," I said. "Now please remove your arm from my shoulder."

"Why should I? I was about to leave, too. We should go together."

I sighed. "We could, but I don't need you touching me."

"Why are you always like this to me?"

"Because you're always like _this_ to me."

He raised his brows. "Fair enough. I guess… Hey, is that your phone ringing?"

I looked down at my pouch and opened it, saw my cellphone vibrating. I picked it up and turned away from Jace as I answered. "Hello?"

"Oh, dear, I know you're at a party but you told me I should call you no matter what."

My heart started to race but this time, it's due to nervousness. "What is it, Mom?"

"Clary, your brother has woken up."

"Oh," I said, unable to stop the relief that flooded through me. "I'll be right there."

"But –"

I hung up; a second too late to realize that it was rude to hang up on my mother. Knowing that I couldn't correct my mistake, I hurriedly put my phone back into my pouch and started to make my way to Sebastian's front porch so I could leave and go to where taxis pass by.

"Hey!" I heard Jace Herondale shout after me. "Don't leave me behind!"

I whirled around to face him. "I'm sorry, Jace, but I have something very important in mind right now." I then turned again and continued walking.

He followed me. "More important than me?"

"Yes, yes, whatever," I answered, getting annoyed that he wouldn't leave me alone.

"I can give you a ride you know."

I was almost tempted to accept but stopped, knowing that it would then again make me indebted to him. "No, thanks."

"Do you know why Sebastian has a car? It's because it's hard to fetch a cab in this neighborhood."

I ignored him. Yes, much to my distress, I do admit that I did miss his presence this past week. But I never thought our first meeting after our date would be like this. After all that happened that day, I had expected him to…

"Look, I'm going to give you a ride whether you like it or not." He then grabbed my wrist and led the way. When we reached the front of Sebastian's house, I saw his car, and he led me there. He pulled out keys from his pocket and pressed some buttons. I heard the sound of doors unlocking.

"Hop in, princess," Jace Herondale smiled at me as he went around his car to get into the driver's seat.

I scowled but opened the door nonetheless. I didn't want him to drag me inside his car, which I know for the time that I have known him, that he's very, very capable of doing. I didn't say anything as he started up his car.

"So… where did you and Sebastian go?"

I instantly blushed upon hearing his question. "W-what are you talking about?"

Jace mockingly laughed. "You know what I'm talking about. You think I wouldn't notice that you stole the birthday boy from his party?"

"It's none of your business," I said, not looking at him.

He just smirked as he continued driving. And then it dawned on me that maybe he's going to take the route to my house. "Um… I'm going to the hospital."

He chuckled a little. "You really think that I'm your personal driver, don't you?"

I was still not looking at him. "You're always the one who insists that you drive me."

"You've got a point there."

I didn't answer. This was the second time that he had given up easily on our exchange of words. We were silent for a while as he drove and I watched the scenery outside roll by as we passed.

After about five minutes or so, he decided to break the silence. "So, how's your brother?"

I smiled, despite the fact that he won't see. "He has finally woken up," I said. "That's why I'm going to the hospital."

"Ooh," he said, "I'm so happy for you."

The smile didn't leave my face. "Thank you," I said. I suddenly had the urge to ask him how he had been since the meeting with his father last Sunday. "So, um… how have you been this past week?"

"I knew it, you missed me."

_No, don't avoid the question_. "Stop your fantasy." I didn't say anything else, hoping he would get that I'm still waiting for him to answer my question.

We were then again silent, him not answering my question, me not offering to start a conversation. I already knew about his father issues, he had told me a story about it, now why wouldn't he want to talk to me about it?

Music suddenly filled the car as Jace turned on the radio. But the music was only created with instruments; there were no lyrics or whatsoever. "I figured you might need to relax. You can't go running to your brother all excited or pumped up."

So he's really not going to talk about it. Fine. "How kind of you," I said.

"I told you, I'm oozing with kindness."

I rolled my eyes even though he won't see it. "You're so full of yourself."

"I've heard that a lot."

I didn't reply, because in all honesty, the instrumental music playing inside the car was starting to create a quiet atmosphere. It felt like every note wants me to stay silent, to close my eyes and sleep.

Maybe Jace didn't play this for me at all. Maybe he played it for himself, so I could go to sleep and not ask him questions he didn't want to answer. Maybe he was the one who needed to relax, who needed a quiet time.

But why did he volunteer to drive me, again? Why did he even attend Sebastian's party if he was going to leave so early?

Jace Herondale is really complicated.

He continued on driving and the silence lengthened between us as none of us spoke. I think I could use a short nap for a while. I let the music lull me to sleep.

* * *

The feeling of someone shaking me awoke me. It was Jace, watching me with amused eyes. "Finally," he exclaimed as I opened my eyes and tried to stretch my arms.

"We're here?" I asked as I straightened my back.

"Have been for a while," he replied. "I've been trying to wake you but it seemed as if your body enjoyed being shaken by me so you didn't wake up right away."

I sighed. "Please don't start again."

"Fine," he replied as he leaned back on his seat.

I took hold of my pouch. "Thank you for driving me here," I said as I exited the car.

When I got out, I stood a few feet away from his car, waiting for him to leave. That way, he couldn't complain that I'm making him my personal driver. People don't wait for their personal drivers to drive their car away. However, I heard no sound of the car coming to life. A door opening and closing was heard instead.

Jace Herondale was walking towards me. "How nice of you to wait for me. Let's go?"

I scrunched my brows. "What? Excuse me?"

He's smiling. "I figured I should see your brother, too. You wouldn't deprive me of having a glimpse of your brother, would you?"

I wanted to argue but knew that he would eventually win anyway. "Just don't make lots of your annoying remarks," I said.

"Sure," he replied as he started to walk beside me.

As we walked around the hospital, Jace didn't say anything and I didn't dare strike a conversation. He also wasn't looking around, his eyes were focused straight ahead on an invisible something. I still couldn't shake the feeling that something's not right with him.

When we reached the floor where Jonathan's room was, we bumped into my mother.

"Oh, dear, you're here!" Mom exclaimed. When she noticed I wasn't alone, she immediately nodded her head to Jace. "I think we've met before?"

Before Jace could reply, I said, "Mom, this is Jace Herondale, the one who tutors me. He was also the one who drove me here when you told me Jonathan got in an accident."

"Oh," Mom said in understanding. "Yes. I remember you. And it's nice of you to drive my daughter here again."

Jace nodded his head. "I was also leaving the party when I saw her. I thought she could use some ride, since it was hard to grab a taxi or bus in my friend's neighborhood."

Mom smiled at him. "Thank you very much." She turned to me. "Unfortunately, Jonathan has fallen asleep. The doctors said that he needs rest and it's best that we don't disturb him. I'm sorry, I should have called or contacted you about it but my phone's battery got drained."

I tried to fight the disappointment from flooding through me. "It's okay, mom. What matters is that he has woken up."

"Yes," Mom nodded. "Anyway, you could stay here before your dad arrives and we could leave together."

I shook my head. "No, mom. I think you should stay here. It would be better if Jonathan wakes up and see both of you and dad."

As my mother opened her mouth to speak, I held her hand. "I'd be really fine, mom. It's not late yet and I could hop on the next bus or grab a taxi."

Mom closed her lips in a little smile. "If you insist." She turned to Jace and bowed at him. "Thank you again for bringing Clary here."

Jace smiled at her. "It's my pleasure. Your daughter is a very nice person."

I didn't know if he meant it, but I felt happy to hear his praise. "I'll go now, mom. I'll also see Jace out," I said. Mom opened her arms and I went and hugged her. "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you," I whispered.

As we broke apart, I saw Jace watching us. When we locked eyes, he immediately looked away. I turned to my mother. "Bye, mom."

"Bye, dear," mom said as she waved me goodbye.

I started to walk down the hallway and Jace followed me, hands in his pocket, not saying anything. We were silent until we reached the outside of the hospital. We were standing in the façade and I waited for him to go to his car.

He turned to me. "Eager for me to leave?"

My eyes widened a little. "No," I said.

He looked at me up and down and suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Let's go."

"W-what?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

He said nothing as he led me. We crossed the street and then we were standing outside of the café-restaurant where people sometimes go when visiting the hospital.

"W-what are we doing here?" I asked as he found us a table.

"Why, we're celebrating for your brother," Jace said, "You can call this our mini party."

"I should go home."

"It's still early."

I sighed. "You don't know my brother, why would you celebrate for him?"

He shrugged and started to scan the menu. "Seb's party was boring. Let's have a party of our own."

"You can't have a party with only two people," I said.

"And who made that rule?" he responded. Before I could come up with a reply, he signalled for a waiter and ordered.

After I watched the waiter go, I turned to him. "You didn't ask for my order."

"I ordered for both of us," he replied. "Don't worry, it's on me."

I shook my head. "No, don't pay for me. I don't want to owe you more."

With that, he laughed a little. "I'm not going to bother you with this." He then turned his attention away from me, letting me know that the conversation was over.

He's acting strange and I figured I'm not comfortable with it. I want this to stop. Did our meeting with his father have something to do with this?

I didn't speak. What else was I supposed to say? He made it obvious he wasn't interested in talking to me at the moment anymore. Still, it annoyed me that he keeps bringing me to places with him and then decides not to talk to me. I am not his chauffeur.

Our semi-peaceful silence stretched on until the waiter arrived with the food that Jace ordered. He ordered a slice of blueberry cheesecake for each of us paired with shakes.

"Thank you," I muttered to the waiter as he walked away. I then hesitantly turned to Jace. "Thanks."

He grinned. "What are you waiting for? Let's eat, sweetheart."

I chose not to say anything even though he just called me with one of his endearments again. Instead, I focused on the food that was in front of me. I ate only a little at Sebastian's party and I had only just realized now that I'm hungry.

It didn't take us long to finish the food. I was about to bid goodbye when Jace spoke. "Can we start seeing each other?"

The question took me by surprise. It was _so _out of nowhere. I didn't meet his eyes. "W-what?"

"You heard me."

"What do y-you mean? We… we see each other almost e-every day at school."

"You know that's not what I mean."

There was something in his voice that made me look him in the eye. He was staring at me intensely. "You mean…"

"Can we start seeing each other?" He repeated.

I gulped. "As in…"

He finally let out a frustrated sigh. "Are you always this ignorant? I know you know what 'seeing each other' means. Can't we give it a try?" He closed his eyes as a wrinkle made its way to his forehead.

I was speechless. Did he really mean that? Is Jace Herondale really asking me this question? The first thought that entered my mind was that he's a known playboy. Should I or should I not say yes? And why all of a sudden? Sure, we're starting to become friends and the annoyance I always feel when I'm with him is lessening. But is that sufficient reason for us to try being more than friends?

"I…"

Jace opened his eyes and waved his hand. "Forget it."

"What?"

"Forget it. You're right. We see each other almost every day." He pulled out his wallet and placed money on the table. "I'll just bother you then, if that's what you want. That would be enough." With that, he immediately left.

As swift as the wind.

It took me a moment to get myself to move and when I reached the outside of the café, all I could see was the rear of his car zooming away.

I was left with no choice but to go to the waiting shed and wait for the next bus home. Luckily, I didn't have to wait for long because it arrived in less than fifteen minutes. As soon as I sat down, my phone beeped.

Sebastian Morgenstern.

_Where are you? Did you really leave my party without saying goodbye? :(_

I closed my phone and sighed.

Why do I feel like I'm getting myself tangled in a net of trouble?

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

I personally like Shakespeare's sonnets :)

I think it's funny that the title of this chapter is the same as the title of this kpop song that I'm recently playing on repeat.

I only just found out today that Asa Butterfield is dating Ella Purnell. Please kindly have a minute of silence for my broken, damaged, crushed and shattered heart :((((( /3

Hey, maybe your reviews and feedback can help me brighten up ;) haha. i'm still brokenhearted, though, that he's in a relationship again, even though I know it's likely that I'll never be able to get to be with him. lol. maybe in another life, in another universe, we could be together. haha

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | July 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**

I have a life. A busy and stressful life of a college student who has to juggle her time for studies, novels to read, series to watch, yada, yada, etcetera.

So… I AM SO SORRY for not updating for so long! I know, some of you may have got tired waiting but I will let you know that not being able to update stresses me out just as much as it stresses you. But as I've been saying in the past chapters, you can get annoyed at me as much as you want, but know that you should be more thankful that I'm still continuing this story no matter how slow or how long it takes me to update.

Enough babbles. I know you're more excited to read this chapter.

Enjoy! I love you all. Thanks for the support :)

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one section that I'm trying to work on as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this one.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else, including added characters, are all mine though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 17: Soiree**_

**-JACE-**

"I heard from one of your teachers that you didn't attend your class last week."

The spoon stopped halfway to my mouth. I didn't look at Mom. "Was it Mr. Zachariah? He always looks for and after me like I'm his son or something."

"It doesn't matter who," Mom replied. "The important matter here is your studies. Don't try to change the subject."

I didn't reply. I didn't want to lie to Mom but I also didn't want to tell her anything about me this past week. I just continued to eat my dinner.

"I see you've lost your ability to speak," Mom said when I didn't answer.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

She tapped her spoon on the table. "That's all? You're really not going to tell me?"

I briefly looked in her eyes before I shook my head.

She pursed her lips. "Fine. But make sure you attend your classes this week or I'll pull you out from that soccer team of yours."

"Yes, mom," I replied.

"By the way," she added, "your grandma's coming here for Christmas." Her voice had that displeased tone again, which was always present whenever she talks about grandma.

"Okay," I said, making sure my voice didn't betray my feelings about my grandmother coming here again. It's not that I don't like her – it's my mom. I know how she feels about grandma and I don't want her to be uncomfortable or such.

"She requested for you to pick her up from the airport when she arrives," Mom said. "You can refuse but you know how she is."

"When will she come?"

Mom sighed before speaking. "Five days before Christmas? A week?"

I nodded my head. "Then sure, I'll pick her up."

I noticed Mom try to prevent herself from rolling her eyes. "Finish your food. Do your homeworks, then go to sleep."

Like a little kid, I replied, "Yes, Mom."

* * *

"Hi," a new guy at the LRC table greeted as I walked in. "You're a few minutes late."

"I know, I know," I replied as I walked past him after getting the materials needed for the session.

"By the way, my name –"

I didn't hear his voice as I already walked into the room, my eyes searching for a certain girl. It took me less than half a minute to see her.

I sighed. The things I do for this bet. I can't wait for it to end. And I know that it'll end. It _must _end. Soon.

I walked towards her. "Hi," I greeted as I placed the notebook on the table, the same time pulling back the chair beside her so I could sit. "You didn't wait too long, did you?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Let's just start."

"I see you're not that enthusiastic about this."

She then briefly looked me in the eye and said, "Please, Jace, my exam is _tomorrow_. I really need to be reviewed. If you're not going to help me, then I'm going to call for other mentors."

I couldn't help but smile. "Since when did you start calling me by my first name? Last time I checked, I was just 'Herondale' to you."

She closed her eyes. "_Please_."

I laughed a little and opened the notebook. "Okay, okay, princess. Let's save our fun time for later. Now let's move on to your review…"

* * *

"And… that ends it," I said as I closed my notebook. I looked at Red. "Satisfied, princess? Feel like you can ace that exam?"

She closed her lips as she put her notes in her bag. She nodded. "Thank you."

"Then maybe we should go to the canteen now, or you know, a nearby café?"

"No luck, Herondale."

"Woah. So I'm 'Herondale', again?"

She shook her head. "Whatever, Jace." She stood up and motioned to leave but I grabbed her hand. "What?"

"Let's go grab something to eat," I said, "it's on me."

Now she looked at me. "Seriously, Jace, what do you want? If you want to tell me something, just tell me now. You don't have to spend money on food or whatsoever. Just tell me straight." I could see in her eyes that she was thinking of what I told her in the café in front of the hospital.

This bet really needs to end. Soon.

I didn't release my hold on her arm. I tugged at it. "Just come with me, okay?"

"But – "

I gave her no chance to protest.

"I hope you enjoyed our tutorial session, please come again next time!" The new guy shouted after us as we went past him; me pulling Red, who was still trying to break free from my hold.

When we arrived at the canteen, I looked for a free table for two. Luckily, there was one in the corner of the wide space. I headed to it.

"What's your problem?!" she whined as she sat down. "Didn't I tell –"

I stopped her with my hands. "Stay there, okay, princess?"

Before she had the chance to answer, I went away and ordered food.

I was relieved when I saw her still sitting there when I returned after a few minutes. I placed the plate of pancakes in the middle of the table. "Calmed down, princess?"

"Please don't call me princess."

"Okay, princess."

She glared at me to which I just smiled.

"So what did you want to tell me?" She asked carefully, after a few bites of pancake.

"Do you know what date today is?"

She sighed. "I'm not your calendar." A giggle escaped her lips. "Sorry," she mumbled, "well, I believe it's the fourteenth of December."

"So that makes next Monday the…?" I looked at her expectantly.

She raised her eyebrows. "The twenty-first?"

Is she playing dumb? I tried to be patient. "And what's on the twenty-first?"

"The last day of school before this year ends?"

Is she serious?

"Oh," she said as she raised a finger up. "I remember."

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't remember, sweetheart."

She then looked at me, curiosity and questioning in her emerald eyes. "Um… how did you know I was supposed to volunteer as a helper in my father's school's Christmas charity program?"

"What?!" I wasn't able to stop myself. "Are you kidding me?"

"Um… no?"

I raked a hand through my hair. "I can't believe you don't know."

"I don't know what?"

I sighed. "It's the school's Christmas Soiree."

"Oh. I forgot about that," was her reaction.

I tapped my foot on the floor. "Well…?"

She looked at me. "Well what?"

"Will you be my date at the soiree?"

Silence.

She tilted her head and blinked up at me. "What?"

Why are girls always like that? Pretending that they didn't hear you the first time? "You heard me."

"Me?" She shook her head. "Your date?"

I nodded patiently. _Please say yes, please say yes. _"Well? Is it a yes or a no? We don't have much time, you know. We still have to plan stuff, like how your dress should compliment my suit or how high the inches of your heels should be so I wouldn't look like your older brother or uncle or something."

Her face reddened at the last part. "Did you just insult me about my height?"

"Nope." I smiled slightly at her. "So… yes or no?"

"I'll think about it."

I felt my eyes twitch just for a little bit. "Pardon?"

"I said I'll think about it."

I shook my head. "No. I need an answer. Now."

At that, she blinked up at me. "Is this how you ask people to be your date?"

I sighed. "Fine, but be sure to have an answer by tomorrow."

Her head moved up and down. "Okay."

"So…"

"Can you please let me finish my pancake?" She asked as she looked at me, smiling just a little bit.

I nodded. "Sure."

* * *

"Since you won the semi's with the game last Saturday, I'm giving you an early break. Today should be your last practice for this year."

Cheers echoed across the changing room. With Hodge's announcement, my sweaty teammates and I couldn't contain our happiness.

"I told you. Seb's birthday was a lucky day," M said.

"Yeah. The party that evening was even better than winning," August joked.

Sebastian laughed. "I'm just thankful for this early last practice."

Our group then started to disperse. Some went to shower and those who were already done left first.

"So… who's going to be her date?" M initiated.

Out of all of us, M has always been the most excited about our bets – except the year that he was the one doing the bet – so without him saying, we knew exactly who 'her' is. Red.

I waited for Seb to answer but he offered no sign of speaking. I decided to speak first. "I'm about to find out after I leave here."

The annoyed look alone on Seb's face was enough to let me know that he somehow got rejected. I chuckled. "What's the problem, Seb?"

He sighed. "I guess you're on the lead." A pause. When no one spoke, he continued. "I got rejected. Said she already has someone to go with."

Laughter. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Damn, I should've asked on my birthday party."

I shook my head. "It's not a matter of who asked first. If she really wanted to go with you, she would've picked you. It's a matter of her preference. Unfortunately for you, it looks like I'm the more appealing date."

At this moment, M was laughing hard already, his hands slapping his thighs. Sebastian shot him a glare. "How are you so sure that you're going to be her date?"

The smile didn't leave my face. "Who else is she gonna go with? That nerd guy she's always with? Come on, I know that guy has some other fantasy of his. She wasn't even aware that the soiree's going to be on Monday. What better choice of who to come with than the person who reminded her of it and asked her right away?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes and stood up. "Don't go crying your sorry ass to me when you find out you're not her date."

"Yeah, sure," I replied as I went back to drying my hair off with a towel.

A few minutes after Sebastian left, M was still looking at the direction of the shower room.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

He shrugged and then finally turned his head to look at me. "I don't know, man. It's just that…"

"What?"

"I guess Seb really wants to be her date."

"Of course. It'd be a big advantage to the bet."

He shook his head. "It's not that. I have a feeling that it's not just about the bet."

I scrunched my forehead. "What are you implying?"

M looked me in the eye before saying, "I think Seb had grown to really like her." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe he even had developed some serious feelings for her."

* * *

The street was already silent even though the sun hadn't fully set yet. A little girl walking by stopped a few feet from my car to stroke the head of a stray cat. It meowed and stalked away. I watched as she followed the cat.

Someone tapped on my window.

Red.

I rolled it down and smiled at her. "Hi there, sweetheart."

She didn't return my smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, I suppose."

Her eyebrows rose. "Why are you waiting for me?"

I tried not to sigh. If she's playing hard to get, then I might was well try to play along for a while. "I dunno. Maybe you would like to invite me inside your house first?"

"We can talk here," she replied as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

Fine. I opened the door to the shotgun seat. "Have a seat, at least."

She didn't protest and walked around the car. As she sat down, she made no move to close the door. "Seriously?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Because this won't take long."

I shook my head. "You're really something."

"What?" she asked. "What do you mean that…" She trailed off as I leaned towards her so I could pull the door close. I could feel her stay still on her seat, breathing hard. My hand was still holding the handle of the door, me still leaning towards her and I turned a bit so I could face her. We're so close to each other that I could see the freckles on her cheeks I never noticed before and I could see the green of her eyes, untouched by the clear contacts I bought for her.

She's beautiful on her own unique way.

_Stop, _I thought. I cleared my throat but whatever I was planning to say was forgotten. We're just staring at each other, none of us making a move. The way she looked at me made me know that Seb was right about me being on the lead for the bet – it definitely isn't nothing now.

_If only Lily looks at me the same way Red looks at me… _

I felt Red's hands gently push me back to my seat. She exhaled loudly as she looked out the window, her arms crossed in front of her. "Speak."

I figured I can't do or say anything else to make her look at me, except to tell her what I wanted. "You avoided me yesterday."

"Avoided you? Why? Were we supposed to meet?" As she spoke, she was still looking out the window, her back slightly turned away from me.

I sighed. What's wrong with her? "You were supposed to give me your answer to my question on Monday, remember? But I didn't even see a shadow of you yesterday."

Her voice was low when she said, "What question?"

Was that nervousness in her voice?

"You know what," I replied, finally starting to get tired of her avoiding the question. I reached for her shoulder. "Look at me."

Maybe she was finally getting stiff from her position, or maybe it was the effect of my touch, but she did turn around to face me. However, her eyes didn't meet mine.

"Okay," I sighed. "I'll ask again. Will you be my date to the soiree?"

Almost instantly, a blush appeared on her cheeks. "Um… about that…"

"What?" I asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

She bowed her head, looking down at her hands, which were unconsciously trying to remove paint from the inside of her nails. I've noticed it's a mannerism of her. I was about to ask her to look me in the eyes, but she spoke. "I um… already made a commitment with someone that I will go with him…"

Did I hear her right? Is that why she was avoiding me? I tried to make my voice even. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not," she replied, still not looking at me. "I'm sorry."

I have never experienced this before – a girl choosing someone else over me. Except with Lily, yes, but she's a different and special case. Red, she's…

"Who is he?" I asked. "That nerd friend of yours? Why? Did Isabelle reject him? I could set him up with her, if he likes. Though I can't blame Izzy for rejecting him."

Well, _that_ made her look up from her nails to me. "No, it's not Simon. And no, talking about my friend like that won't change my mind about who I'm going with to the soiree."

"Then who is he, the guy you're going with?" _The guy who's ruining my chances in the bet?_

Again, she refused eye contact with me. "Do you really need to know? Do I really need to tell you?"

I sighed. "Yes. Especially since I'm the one who reminded you about the soiree, if you remember." I didn't bother to hide the annoyance and bitterness in my voice.

"It's Alec Lightwood," she mumbled lowly.

Alec Lightwood? "What?" I asked incredulously. "Alec Lightwood? As in Alexander Lightwood, my best friend?"

This time, she looked at me. "Yes. I'm going to the soiree as Alec Lightwood's date."

"He doesn't study here," I said. "You're just lunch mates, that's not enough reason to go with him."

She blinked at me. "He told me he's free to come, since it's their family's school's Christmas ball. And we're friends. Also, we're just acquaintances, that's not enough reason to go with you to the date, right?"

"You wound me. I thought we're friends."

She sighed. "Okay, then yes, we're friends. But still, that wouldn't change the fact that I'm going with Alec. And you can't say anything against that because we're also friends."

I shook my head. "You're going with me."

"But…"

"No, you're going with me," I repeated firmly.

A frown made its way across her forehead. "I don't understand you, Jace. I already said I'm going with Alec."

Another shake of my head. "I'll talk to him. You're going with me." When she opened her mouth to speak, I cut her off. "No protests. You're going to the soiree as my date."

A glare set on her eyes, partnering with the still present frown on her face. "You're confusing," she said as she shook her head. "As far as I know, I have the freedom to choose who I'm going with to the party. And it's not you. It's Alec." She opened the door and climbed out of my car. "Good bye, Jace."

And just like that, she walked to the gate of their house. Before entering, her lip curled into what I supposed was an attempt at a smile. She turned her back, not even waiting to see if I drive away.

Damn Alec.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Hooray, for the people who're rooting for Alec in this story! lol

I would like to tell you that even though I haven't finished writing this story, I already have a sequel in mind. Haha it's still subject to change, though haha :)

Please remember to review! Thank you very much!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | October 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's Note**

You know the usual deal: I let my life get the best of me so I got too busy to finish this chapter and to update.

I'm sorry.

I tried to make this chapter longer but I failed. I hope you'll still like this, though.

Thanks for all the support and love! :)

**SOME HEADS UP**: I did an error regarding Clary's last name in the previous chapters. It shouldn't have been _Fray_, it should have been _Morgenstern_.Sorry!

Here's chapter 18, enjoy! ;)

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 18: Blessings**_

**-CLARY-**

"You've got to be kidding me," Simon said as he drank from his glass of juice. "You rejected Jace Herondale _and _Sebastian Morgenstern's offers to be your date to the soiree? That's just insane."

"Says someone who's going to the party with a girl who's not Isabelle Lightwood." As expected, Simon's expression changed. He glared at me. I put my hands up. "Sorry."

"Yeah," he said, shook his head. "I still don't know why I accepted Maia's offer. We barely know each other."

I bit from my biscuit. "Well, to be fair, you and Isabelle barely know each other too."

Simon wore a meaningful smile as he shook his head. "That's what you think, Clary." He read the expression on my face. "I still haven't told you about our second real accidental meeting, right?"

I nodded. "And it seems like you have no plan to."

He nodded to that. "Sorry."

I smiled. "Hey, it's okay."

He returned my smile. "So… you're going with Alexander Lightwood. Wow."

"There's nothing wow-able there."

He ignored my comment. "Why him? Out of the three of them who asked, why him?"

That's the same question I've been asking myself, too. Why Alec Lightwood? Why him over Jace? Yes, we're friends and have lunch together, but I'm also starting to become friends with Jace, too. And Sebastian… if I had known that he would ask me to be his date a few hours after Alec, would I have said no to Alec instead? And why did they ask me in the first place? Jace and Sebastian are popular with the girls, there's no doubting that. So why me? And Alec… he's confusing. The three of them are confusing. How did I get involved in their social circle? Last time I remember, I've been living in the shadows of the school. Why am I suddenly associated with soccer players and campus crushes and school owners' sons?"

"Earth to Clary," Simon was snapping his fingers at me.

I blinked many times. "Oh, sorry…"

Simon was smiling. "So… why Alec Lightwood?"

"He's my friend," I responded.

"Jace Herondale and Sebastian Morgenstern can be called your friends, too. Why didn't you say yes to them? Didn't Jace ask you first?"

I shrugged. "Jace asked at the wrong time. It was the day before our dreaded exam in Trigo! I've been thinking about the exam and he suddenly brings me again to eat after the tutorial session and just suddenly asks me to be his date. Of course I was surprised! I was already confused enough by him, and…" I trailed off, realizing I was saying too much.

When I looked at Simon, he was studying me with those brown eyes behind his glasses. "Do you… possibly… like Jace Herondale?"

"I don't know," I blurted out almost immediately, but it's the truth. "I don't know yet, Simon." There, I already acknowledged the possibility that I mightlike Jace Herondale.

"And what about Sebastian?" Simon asked carefully. "What about your resurfacing crush on him?"

I looked at him and willed my eyes to do the speaking for me. To tell him that I, myself was confused.

"Oh," he nodded in understanding. "Maybe that's why you chose Alec Lightwood. He's not confusing you or something."

I nodded. "That could be."

Simon stretched his arms behind him. "So… our test results come out tomorrow. Lucky we don't have classes on Friday."

"Yeah. I can't wait to see the results," I said sarcastically.

He laughed. "Oh come on, Clary, you had a great tutor." The teasing in his voice slightly annoyed me, I was almost tempted to make a remark about Isabelle Lightwood going to the soiree with someone else. I kept my mouth shut.

My phone suddenly rang and I scrambled from the sofa to pick it up. It was my mom's ringtone. "Hi, mom," I said to the speaker.

"Dear, we're already checking out of the hospital, we'll be on our way there soon. Is dinner ready? Is your friend already there?"

"Yes, mom," I replied. "Is Jonathan…?"

"He's really excited to go home. Just remember what the doctors said about being careful what to say when he's around."

I nodded, even though I knew my mom won't see. Apparently, Jonathan had a selective amnesia, as a side-effect of the trauma from the accident. He couldn't remember anything that happened two or more weeks before the accident. The doctors said that it's better if we don't force him to remember by supplying to him the memories he lost. Let him remember by himself, they said. I was heartbroken when I heard the news at first, but later accepted it, thankful that there could be worse things that could've happened to him.

"Clary?" Mom's voice broke me out of my reverie.

"Yes, mom?"

"I'll be hanging up now."

"Okay. Be safe," I said.

"We will be," she replied before the beep of the phone signalled that he already hung up.

I put my phone down.

"Are you sure that it's okay that I'm here?" Simon asked. "Your brother might… you know."

I smiled at him. "It's okay, Si. I already invited you yesterday after the exam and it wasn't until this morning when I learned Jonathan's coming home today. I told Mom and Dad about it and they told me it's okay. You're the closest person I have for a best friend and it's rude if I make last minute changes."

He grinned at me. "Your best friend… I like the sound of that."

"I have always wanted a boy best friend." I was grinning already, too.

"Wow," he said. "It shouldn't have been a coincidence that I've longed for a girl best friend since I was young."

We both smiled meaningfully at each other. It's wonderful how we had grown so close in the past month, considering we were just acquaintances at the beginning of the school year last September, when we became seatmates in Trigo class. It only took Isabelle Lightwood's birthday party for us to grow closer. It's a wonder how one event can trigger a change in your entire relationship with someone.

Without my permission, my date with Jace Herondale appeared in my mind. Our date, which changed course in the middle when his father and his second family appeared. It hasn't been two weeks yet, but it already feels like that date was months ago. That date, which led me to start seeing Jace in a different light. Jace Herondale…

I shook my head vigorously. Since when did I start thinking of him during my free times?

* * *

Someone knocking hard on my door woke me up. I reached for my glasses and groggily sat up to look at my bedside table. The clock says its 5:45 in the morning. Still too early. I laid back on my bed.

"Seriously," a voice from my doorway said. I had even forgotten about the knock that woke me up.

I tried not to sigh as I sat up again. I blinked at the person.

Jonathan.

My brother, no longer in his deep sleep. I had almost believed that the dinner we had last night with him was a dream.

He cocked his head sideward. "Why are you looking at me as if I'm someone back from the dead?"

_Because I came close to believing that you're never going to wake up_. "Why are you up this early? You should be resting."

He crossed his arms and leaned on my door. "I've been told I slept for so long." He gave me a smile which I tried to return. Before I could speak, he said, "Go back to sleep if you want. But blame no one when you're late for school." He waved his hand and left my room.

I couldn't help but smile. I missed him. And the way he's acting… it's as if he never got into an accident. To be honest, he looked better now. He's the Jonathan I grew up with, my brother who cared for me on his own way. Nonchalant and relaxed. No signs of the problems he obviously was hiding the week before his accident.

Would it be selfish of me to wish he never regained his lost memories?

I'm jumping up and down on my toes as we crowded near the door of our Trigo classroom.

"Gee, I'm so nervous! I don't think I'm ready to see the results of my exam!" I heard Riselle say to Mae.

"Me too," I mumbled to Simon.

He patted my back. "It's okay, Clary. You studied well, right? Then you shouldn't be too worried."

"But still…" Simon gave me a look that told me to stop worrying.

"Clary, the exam was done, our answers graded. Worrying won't do much in changing whether we passed or not."

I nodded sullenly and took a deep breath. "I just hope I passed, Si."

He nodded back. "We all do."

We quieted down when Mr. Graymark arrived holding a stack of papers in his hands. He looked around us. "You don't own the hallways, children, quiet down. What's the fuss all about?"

As if he has no idea. I'm pretty sure majority of us thought the same, judging by the looks on our faces before we quieted down. Simon nudged me by my side. "Calm down, Clary."

"I'm trying," I whispered to him.

Students started to exit the room. Some of them were stretching their hands over their heads, other running quickly to the direction of the restrooms. For a moment, I got distracted by the students leaving, especially with the couples who were holding hands. I couldn't explain, but something in me swelled seeing those who were together. I even heard one girl talking in distress about the results of their exam in the next subject, while the guy tried to comfort her. I sighed, sometimes, I wish…

"Clary, all our classmates are entering the room," Simon whispered beside me.

I looked around and saw that yes, they were already lining up towards the door leading to the room. "Oh, okay."

I took a deep breath as I sat on my chair. Mr. Graymark made his way to the front and put the stack of papers on the table. He faced the class. "Good morning. Today's our last meeting for the year. And I'll be leaving you with your third exam results."

A chorus of groans echoed around the room. "Merry Christmas, sir," one of my classmates said, jokingly asking for some bonus points, which was followed by nervous laughter from others. I remained quiet. I really needed to pass the exam, Mr. Graymark even warned me about it.

Before I knew it, he was already calling out names and one by one, my classmates stood from their chair. Many went to the front nervously but came back happily, while others went back to their chair forlorn. I wondered if I would be part of the majority or the minority.

Simon returned to the chair beside me and peeked at his score. He gave out a sigh of relief. When he caught me looking at him, he offered me a reassuring smile.

"Uh-hmm." Mr. Graymark called for our attention. He waved the papers left in his hand. "These are our top scorers."

What?! Is he trying to play games with me? I shot a quick glance at Simon, but instead of the worry in my eyes, all I saw was happiness and excitement in his.

Mr. Graymark started calling out names that were not mine, followed by applause from the class. There should have been a mistake. Did my test paper go missing?

"The second highest, Clarissa Morgenstern," I finally heard my name. "42 over 45."

I couldn't believe my ears, even as I stood up to get my papers and the class clapped. This has to be some sick joke of Mr. Graymark. I must have been walking too slowly because I even crossed paths with the highest scorer, a boy who I recognized as Jace's friend.

"Congrats," Simon whispered as I sat down. "So much for worrying, huh."

I tried to smile at him as I glanced at my paper. I gulped in a huge breath and my eyes still couldn't process the reality. But there is it, written in red ink, _42/45_, and it was encircled, with a note saying, _Keep it up!_

My hard work paid off?

Mr. Graymark knocked on the board to once again call our attention. He was smiling. "I'd have to say, the passing rate of your class for this exam is high. Good job."

Murmurs of "Thank you" followed.

He cleared his throat. "Well, let's go on with discussing the answers on your exam, so I could dismiss you early."

"Okay, sir," we answered.

I held on tight to my test paper, trying to calm and stop myself from shivering due to the feeling of euphoria from my score. I guess it's true then, nothing compares to the feeling of your hard work paying off.

* * *

"Have a happy vacation, everyone," Mr. Graymark said. "See you next year."

"Good bye sir," our class replied in chorus.

As we started to file out of the classroom, Simon shook my hand. "Well, congratulations, again, Clary." His smile was wide, like he was so proud of me.

"Thanks, Si, but it's not such a big deal."

"Oh, really?"

I gave a cheeky smile. "Okay, I'm feeling so happy, alright? I almost died of nervousness and now I think I might die of happiness."

Simon laughed as we continued to walk. As I roamed my eyes around, I saw the already familiar tall guy with golden blonde hair. Before I knew it, I was already dashing towards him.

"Jace!" I shouted in glee as I excitedly waved my test paper in front of him. "Look, look!"

He was taken aback by my actions. He held me down by placing his hands on my shoulders and leaned down to look at my paper. He straightened his back and blinked at me in confusion. "This is your way of telling me that your name is actually Clarissa Adele F. Morgenstern?"

I laughed a little as I shook my head no. "Look at my score! It's my highest yet!"

He looked at my paper again. "Well. That's not so bad. Congratulations, I guess?"

"Thank you," I said. "You tutoring me really did help a lot. Thank you."

Someone coughed near us.

"Uhh, Clary…?" I heard Simon's footsteps approach.

And that's when I realized what I had done.

Jace was standing still and I was giving him one of the most awkward hugs in the history of the all the hugs in the universe.

Slowly but surely, I removed my hands from around Jace. I refused to look at him. "Um… bye. Thanks again," I mumbled as I moved quickly to leave, my head bowed down, trying hard to stop myself from covering my face in embarrassment. Behind me, I could hear Simon following. I have no idea how many people witnessed that but all I want right now is for the ground to open up and swallow me.

Oh my goodness. What have I done?

"Clary," Simon called from behind me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, sure that my face was still red. "Si, I'm sorry, but I think I want some time to be alone. That was so embarrassing."

He has already stopped walking, too. "Umm… Alright, I guess. If that's what you want." He tapped his foot on the floor. "I guess I should let you know that not a lot of people saw that. And um… Sebastian wasn't there, too."

No, no, no. "Simon, you're making me feel more embarrassed."

There was slight panic in his voice when he said, "Oh, okay, okay. Sorry. I'm just going to leave now."

I sighed. "Thank you and good bye, Si."

When I was sure he already left, I went inside the nearest rest room and locked myself inside a cubicle.

* * *

Friday flew by quickly. I was able to recover from the incident on Thursday after I talked to Simon about it that night. He told me that it was normal, that I just got a little carried away by my happiness on the results of the exam. And most importantly, I already did it and there isn't anything that could be done.

Mom, was very happy for me. Dad was satisfied. Jonathan teased me that I must have a boyfriend or something, for me to be inspired so much and get a high score.

"Oh, stop, Jonathan," Mom told him. "Our Clary doesn't have a boyfriend. She only had a tutor."

That made me look at mom. My questioning look must have been obvious for she laughed a little. "Why? Was your tutor not helpful? He's not good in teaching?"

Before I could answer, Jonathan said, "Wait, 'he'?" He turned to me. "Your tutor is a guy? Oohhh. Now I know."

My grip on the spoon tightened as I tried to stop myself from blushing… and retorting to Jon's teasing. I forgot how he loves to tease me about boys. "Whatever it is you're implying or thinking, it's not true."

Mom smiled but Dad looked serious. "You see, Clarissa, what happens when you take studying seriously. I've always known you could do well in math, you just weren't giving your best."

I nodded to dad. Sometimes, dad's scolding of me about my studies is just like how Mr. Graymark scolds me. The only difference is that I appreciate dad's more, because he has the right as my father.

"So… Clary, you're going dress shopping tomorrow?" Mom decided to break the silence that had settled.

I glanced quickly at Dad. It was only before dinner that I had the chance to tell him I'm going to the Christmas soiree instead of doing the volunteer work at his school.

He gave me a little smile. "I told you it's really okay, Clarissa. We already have many volunteers. Besides, I also wouldn't want you to miss that ball."

Mom nodded and smiled, too. "It'd be really good for you if you come."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"So you're going with that boy again?" Jonathan asked.

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Oh, right, right. You're going with your tutor, aren't you?"

_Oh how I wish. _I shook the thought away from my mind, surprised that I even thought about it. What was that? "I'm actually going with Alec Lightwood," I tried to sound calm.

Jonathan's eyebrows rose. And then he grinned. "That's my sister. You don't like making friends with a lot of people, but when you make one, it's the son of the school owner."

I couldn't help but smile back at him.

* * *

"You sure you're not coming with us, mom? I'm sure Alec would understand." I'm helping mom dust the furniture in the living room as I waited for Alec to pick me up for shopping.

"It's really okay, dear," she replied. "I'd like you to pick on your own. We could go dress shopping some other time. For your debut, maybe?" She turned to give me a reassuring smile.

I really love my mom. She's the best. I reached out and hugged her. "Thank you, mom."

She disentangled herself from me. "You'll get dirty," she said as she patted my clothes clean.

We were still smiling at each other when we heard a car's horn sound. I looked out the window. "That must be Alec," I said.

"Go on then," Mom said. "Both of you take care, okay?"

"Okay mom." I gave her one last hug before I went out the door.

* * *

"Hi," I greeted Alec after I closed the gate of our house behind me.

"Hello," he greeted back. "You ready?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then let's go," he smiled.

We walked towards his car. When I approached the shotgun seat and was about to pull the door open, the window rolled down. I was immediately surprised. "You? What are you doing there?"

Jace Herondale's smile was wide. "Hello, darling."

Alec, who has already taken his place in the driver's seat, leaned across Jace towards the window. "Oh, right. I'm sorry Clary, I forgot to tell you that Jace is coming with us today. You two know each other, right? And it would be okay with you, wouldn't it?"

I forced myself to shrug my shoulders. "Yes. It'd be okay."

Jace smiled and winked at me as he rolled up his window. I entered the backseat of the car and tried to relax.

"Well, let's go, Alec. I'm so excited to shop for the ball!" Jace exclaimed before he turned on the radio, not before staring at me through the mirror hanging in front of the car."

I looked away and rolled my eyes. Why won't he leave me alone?

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

If you think what happened to Clary with her Trigo exam is impossible, I should let you know that it is possible. The proof is me :P hahahaha

I hoped you liked this chapter!

Remember to review and share! Oh, also, please check out my other Clace story, _Love Rain_ if you haven't :)

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | December 2015]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	20. Chapter 19

**Author's Note**

Happy New Year! Hooray for my first update this year! :D

How have you been, folks? I hope you enjoyed the holidays.

Thanks for all the support you're giving to this story.

And oh, for those of you wondering what arrhythmia means, you'll find out soon (or Google's a few clicks away)

Here's Chapter 19, enjoy! :)

_**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story._

_Disclaimer: The Mortal Instruments and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though._

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 19: Helping hands**_

**-JACE-**

I think I'm starting to like dress shopping.

"This too," I said as I handed Red another dress from the fourth rack, ignoring her grumbles from behind me as she followed.

I pulled out a mint green dress and examined it. I tossed it into the growing pile in her hands. "Try this, too."

Finally, she stopped. I turned to her. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "What?" She mimicked me and then looked down at the dresses in her hands. "These are too much to try on. And besides, you're not even my date to the ball, why are you picking my dress?"

I ignored the annoyance her remark made. "Because Alec asked me to?"

She shot a look at the stairs, leading to the first floor of the shop, where Alec's looking for his own clothes. "Excuse me, if my recollection is right, he asked you if it's okay to carry the dresses _I _pick for myself. Not the other way around."

I smiled at her. "I'm not picking these dresses for myself, honey."

"I'm going to try them on now." She glared at me before stomping away to the dressing room.

I really think I'm starting to like dress shopping.

I made my way over to the traditional couch placed right outside of the dressing room. I never thought I would find myself in this situation. Just for the damned bet.

Why am I taking this bet seriously?

The curtain partially opened and I saw Red hiding behind it, her head poked out. Her cheeks were flushed pink. "I should've known you would pick a dress like this."

I put on my innocent face. I have a pretty good idea which one she's wearing right now. It was the one I picked on impulse, forgetting that I was choosing for her, not for some other girl. By the time I realized what I'd done, it was too late to tell her to leave it behind. And besides, I honestly also wanted to see her try it on. "What's the problem, dear?"

"This is… too much," she mumbled.

"Too much? Or too less?" I teased.

Her cheeks reddened more. "I shouldn't have tried it on in the first place. Gosh, I'm so stupid."

"Just let me see," I said.

She let the curtain fall. The dress looked good on her, but it didn't like the way it made her look good. It was meant to make the wearer sexy, I could tell that, but it failed on Red. Her cuteness overpowered the dress' sexiness. It was a tight fit, hugging her small curves, her not abundant chest. The best part however – and I couldn't help but take delight from it – was its length. It was a good five inches above her knees.

_Stop. She's not like the other girls_. I shook away the annoying voice that has been starting to bug me the past weeks.

"Is your perverted mind satisfied?" Red's voice asked. Her hands were planted on her hips and she looked furious. "I have a pretty good idea why you picked this and I don't know why in the world I even tried this on and let you see me, but there's no way that I'm going to wear this to the soiree. I'm sorry." She glared at me. "Well, I'm not really sorry at all."

I shrugged. "I have to say, this dress makes your legs look longer."

That's when she realized where my eyes were focused on. She quickly grabbed the curtain to cover the lower half of her body.

I looked up at her. "As much as I enjoy seeing you on that dress, honey, I think you should try on the other dresses."

She glared at me and without saying anything, she slid the curtain back in place and disappeared behind it.

I shook my head and without meaning to, I turned my head to the stairs, suddenly wishing Alec wouldn't go up yet. He could go tux shopping all day and I wouldn't mind at all.

The sound of the curtain opening alerted me. I looked at Red. This time, she's wearing a royal blue flowing dress that ended at her knees. It only had one strap, which was on the left shoulder, and was studded with shining beads.

"Well…?" she asked as she looked at me expectantly. "What do you… think?"

"You don't look bad," I said.

She looked down at the dress. "You think… this would be okay for the ball?"

I nodded. "But I think you should still try the other ones."

She slightly pouted her lips, obviously not eager to continue on trying the other dresses. Nonetheless, she disappeared behind the curtain once more.

My phone sounded, signalling a message.

_**M: How's being the third wheel?**_

I rolled my eyes as I typed back.

_**How are you holding up carrying Izzy's shopping bags around?**_

He was quick to reply.

_**M: Feeling out of place? Did Alec and the girl already forget about you?**_

"Aaa-mmh," Red's shy cough caught my attention. I didn't notice that she was already done putting on the third dress.

I quickly typed my reply to M. One that would definitely not elicit a reply from him for the meantime.

_**What's the feeling of having your dream come true? Finally spending time alone with Izzy. After eight years…**_

I put my phone back in my pocket and turned my attention to Red, who was, I noticed, studying me. I dismissed the look I caught on her face right before she saw me already looking at her.

This time, she's wearing a fitted silver dress that reached her ankles. Had the dress been worn by someone else, they would've looked slutty.

I shook my head. "Take that off."

She seemed hesitant at first before shrugging. "Okay."

Red tried on a few other dresses. Alec downstairs seemed to take tux buying seriously because Red's down to the last dress and he still hasn't gone up to check on us yet.

Not that I care though. Actually, I like it better that Red's alone with me, with no disturbances except for the checking of a saleslady every now and then. As expected, M didn't reply to my last message.

The curtain slid open and something inside me actually reacted when I saw her.

The last dress was one that reached just above her knees. It was strapless and simple and didn't have any complicated designs or styles, except for glittering beads embroidered on the waistline. It was the perfect shade of emerald green that didn't only complement her ginger hair, but brought out the green in her eyes as well.

She looked like a fairy going to a ball.

She looked pretty.

"Jace?" her voice was hesitant.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Yeah?"

She adjusted the dress by the sides. "What do… you… think? Would this be… okay?"

I leaned back on the couch. "Well… wearing that, I think some guys could be after you."

Surprise passed on her face. "Was… that…" she struggled to find words. "Did you just… compliment me?"

I smiled at her. "I guess so, my dear."

"So… you think I should pick this?" She tried to twirl, which actually looked cute. "I think Alec would like this, too."

All of a sudden, the thought of her going to the ball wearing the dress with me not her partner, annoyed me. It annoyed me more to know that Alec's going to be the one to walk and take pictures with her in the dress.

I shook my head. "That's not good for the ball."

Her eyes widened. "What? But didn't you think it would make me look good?"

"Yeah. But it doesn't mean it's suited for the ball."

She turned her back to me to face the mirror. When she looked at me again, she was still confused, but now, she's also a bit sad. "But…" She looked down at the dress again. "You really don't think I should pick this?"

I tried to think back to the other dresses that I liked on her. "The second dress you tried on? The royal blue one? I think that's the best dress for you." I'm lying, of course, but she'd never know.

She blinked many times. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Another look at the emerald dress she's wearing. "Okay then… I'll change out of this."

The curtain shut close behind her and a sigh escaped from my lips. I knew we don't know each other on a deep level but I could tell that she really liked that last dress. I really liked it best for her, too. But…

Why does she have to go to the ball with Alec?

"Are you done here?" Alec asked as he finally finished picking his clothes.

I smiled at him. "Yeah. About time you joined us."

The curtain opened and Red stepped out. The regretful look on her face – no doubt about the last dress – was wiped when she saw Alec. "You're done?"

Alec smiled at her. "Yes. What's the color of your dress?"

It took her a second too long to answer. "Royal blue." I don't know if I'm imagining it, but I thought I heard a hint of sadness in her voice.

I'm starting to feel a little guilty about that green dress.

Alec's face lit up. "That's great! The dress shirt I bought is also that color. Not to mention the accent of my tux."

A smiled also curved its way on Red's lips. "That's amazing, Alec!"

I was getting tired of them exchanging smiles so I began to stand up. "What are you waiting for? Let's pay so we can grab some lunch."

Alec turned to me. "You sure you won't buy your tux?"

I smirked at him. "Did I forget to tell you that I already bought mine two weeks ago? If you're not aware, I think the two of you are the only people buying clothes two days before the ball. Oh wait, I remember, you two didn't even plan to go there in the first place, right? I wonder how you remembered about the ball…"

I gave Red a pointed look before I glared at Alec.

It didn't take me long to connect things together. Monday night, I told Alec about how Red told me she'd think about being my date to the ball. I thought he would help me convince her since they're lunch mates and all but Tuesday came and he probably asked her to be _his _date instead. Wednesday night, I talked him out of it and he refused, saying he missed experiencing high school Christmas ball and I shouldn't rob him of it.

"_I don't understand, Jace," he said. "Why do you want to go with Clary? There's definitely a long line of girls wanting to go with you to the Christmas ball."_

"_I just want to go with her, okay?"_

_He eyed me suspiciously. "Are you going to play her?"_

_I chuckled a little. "Of course not."_

"_She's still going to be my date, though."_

So much for him being my best friend. At least he allowed me to tag along with them today.

My thoughts were broken when Red spoke a question. "Then why did you come here with us today?" It was a curious question but I couldn't help but notice that there was something else she wanted to say.

Alec was looking at me, too. I shrugged. "I had nothing else to do." At least that was true.

"Get a life," Alec said and he and Red cracked up laughing.

The only response I gave them was the roll of my eyes.

* * *

"So Clary, what are your plans this Christmas?" Alec asked, making conversation as we waited for our orders.

Her lips curled up in contemplation. "I'm not sure yet," she said. "Maybe we're just going to stay home and have some family time, since you know, Jonathan…"

"Oh, right," Alec said. "I forgot. How's he fairing?"

"Good," Red smiled. "He hasn't recovered the memories he lost yet but in terms of physical and emotional state, he's good." A pause. "What about you? What are your plans?"

"Izzy and I are going overseas to join our parents. Probably just going to watch some movies or plays. Go ice-skating, maybe visit a famous landmark. It all depends on what she wants." He shrugged. "You know my sister."

_You know my sister?_

My eyes darted between them. Just how close are they? Really? They're talking about Christmas plans and siblings? How close can two people be just by eating lunch together? And since when did Alec open up to someone in such a short time? Especially to a girl? Red's also a different case, since he already thinks I have an interest with her. Alec always made sure to _never _associate himself with the girls in my life.

What's with Red that made Alec break his tradition?

_What's with Red, giving me this strange sense of possessiveness? _I shook the thought away. I should really do something to stop that annoying voice in my head.

"…and the truth is Simon actually asked Isabelle if she would go watch the new _Stars Wars_ movie with him a week before. So even though they're not going together to the ball, they're still going to watch the movie tonight, no matter how awkward it might get."

I looked at Red. "Simon? That nerd you're always with?"

She glared at me. "Yes."

"Did he seriously ask Izzy to watch _Star Wars_ with him?"

"Yes."

"And Izzy agreed?"

"Yes."

I shot a knowing look at Alec. He only smiled at me.

"Um… what's the matter?" Red asked, catching the look.

"Izzy hates _Stars Wars_," Alec said, still smiling.

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Uh-huh. She hates anything Sci-Fi," I supplied.

Red shook her head. "Then why did she agree to watch with him? Unless…" She looked at me, and then at Alec. "She likes him?!"

Alec nodded, his smile still plastered on his face. "I think so. Honestly, I think she _really_ likes him because she's willing to endure two hours of _Star Wars_ with him."

I shivered. "That's scary, Alec. Aren't you scared for your sister?"

Red's eyes were still wide. Then she clasped her hands over her mouth. "Oh my god, oh my god." Her hands went to one fanning herself and one opening her purse. "I need to warn Simon. What if he shows up dressed as a Stormtrooper?"

"Hey," Alec said, "no mentions of her liking him."

Red nodded and went to typing. When she looked up from her phone, she caught me looking at her.

I raised a brow. "He would do that?"

She nodded. "Yes. He told me he once won a prize in a cosplay contest. He went as Darth Vader." An almost proud smile appeared on her face. "Voice and all."

I looked at Alec. "Your sister really likes him?" I shook my head. "Weird taste."

Red glared at me again but before she could say anything, our orders arrived. I saw Alec heave a sigh, obviously relieved that he got saved from watching another one of our scenes: me being a jerk to Red, and her reacting cutely and giving remarks.

I sensed the waitress staring at me, way more than necessary. My lips automatically curved into a smile. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

Red groaned. A flush crept its way onto the waitress' cheeks. "I, um… can I ask you something?"

I kept my gaze on her. "Sure thing, honey."

She was embarrassed and fidgety it took her a minute or two to find her voice. "Are you somehow related to Celine Wright? The model who was a former actress?"

I felt my companions instantly tense on their seats. I willed to keep my composure. It had been years since someone asked me that question. As I grew older, the less I looked like my mom and the more I started to resemble my father. My eyes were the only exception, though. They still remained as tawny as mom's. I was actually surprised she saw the now small resemblance.

I didn't realize an awkward silence has settled since no one in the table dared to say anything after the waitress' question. She looked ready to retract the question when I said without thinking, "Yes, she's my mother."

The waitress' mouth widened along with her eyes. "My older sister and I were big fans of her! We used to watch all her movies when we were younger and we got sad when she quit acting." She was full of excitement, oblivious of how I and Alec and Red were getting uncomfortable. I could feel that they want to intercept, to save me from the obviously sensitive conversation. I'm thankful they haven't made a move yet.

"So, is it true she'll have a special participation in _America's Next Top Model_? She's the one who got me really interested in modelling and other fashion stuff." Her eyes roamed over me once more. "Gosh. I knew the moment I saw you. You look just like the kid I saw in pictures."

I forced myself to stop the frown to form on my face. She saw pictures of me as a child? Then it dawned on me: she's an obsessed fan. I've always heard of them, especially during the arc of my mom's career; I just never thought I'd have a close encounter with one. I momentarily closed my eyes and then forced a smile. "It's nice meeting you. I'll make sure to tell mom about this."

She smiled so widely it must've hurt. "I'm Sherry," she said, extending an arm. "I'm so honored to meet you…"

She let the sentence hang obviously waiting for me to supply my name when I shake her hand. And this is the first time I'm actually reluctant to give my name to a girl. Just the thought of her learning my name and doing whatever with it…

I need to get out of this safe. With mom's change in career, I never thought I'd be put in a situation like this. But the waitress was still extending her arms, looking at me expectantly.

"Theo," someone whined by the table. I snapped my head toward the voice and locked eyes with Red. "I'm hungry, Theo." She put emphasis on the name.

She didn't need to do that. Her eyes told me enough. She's trying to help me.

"Ah, yes, darling, just a minute," I replied as casually as I could. I turned to the waitress and gave her a sorry smile – as if I'm actually sorry – and said, "Sorry. My girlfriend gets really get grumpy when she's hungry."

The waitress scrambled to get something out of her pocket. "Would you at least take a picture with me as a remembrance?" She held her phone towards me hopefully.

_No way_, I wanted to tell her but like a savior, Red whined again, her voice now laced with what I suspected as real impatience. "Theo! How long is just a minute? You do know that Ben here," she pointed at Alec, "is still heartbroken over Magnus." I almost blew us up when I barely suppressed my laughter.

"Sorry, babe," I mumbled and then turned to the waitress. I gave her my best apologizing smile before turning my head away from her. We waited for her steps to disappear before the three of us breathed sighs of relief.

"Seriously?" Alec was the first to speak. "Was it necessary to make me gay?" His voice didn't come out as offended as he intended.

Red shrugged. "It came out before I even thought of it."

I shook my head. "I never thought you could pull something like that, Red. Never in a million years."

Her cheeks pinked. "Uh… you're welcome?" She offered and I couldn't help but smile. She's back to her old shy, self.

I forced her to look me in the eyes. "Thank you."

She quickly broke eye contact. "I wasn't lying though, when I said I was hungry."

Alec then nervously laughed, obviously waiting for me to at least tell Red something about my mom's career. Little did he know that she already knew much more than just mom's career. That day…

"So, where did you get our names?" Alec asked her.

It took her long to answer as she swallowed down what she just chewed. "From the books I read this year." She saw the look on Alec's face, asking for more details and she smiled. "Theo is from _Ten Thousand Skies Above You_, Ben is from _November 9_ and Magnus is from _The Sword of Summer_."

I gulped down my coke. "I assumed Ben and Magnus are from the same book, for you to make them a couple who had split." I smirked at Alec, who rolled his eyes.

"The names just came to me," Red explained, and gave another sheepish smile to Alec, which for some reason annoyed me. "Sorry."

Alec smiled back at her and I rolled my eyes as the three of us refocused on our food. We were finished with our meals and were about to leave when Alec's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID then turned to us. 'Would it be okay for you two to stroll around some shops first?"

A grin found its way on my lips. "We'd love to." I smirked at Red. "Right?"

She shrugged. "Yes."

Alec shot us an appreciative smile. "Thanks."

After Alec was gone, I found myself in the middle of a busy street surrounded by shops, with Red by my side. I looked at her, giving her one of my irresistible smiles. "So dear, should we hold hands or something?"

A roll of her eyes. "In your dreams."

"Oh, but what we do in my dreams consists of more than holding hands, my dear."

As expected, that remark earned me a disgusted look from her. She didn't say anything, just stomped away from me.

It wasn't hard for me to catch up with her. "Hey," I started. She just continued to walk. "Hey," I touched her shoulder, stopping her. She looked at me. "What?"

For some reason, I looked away. "Thank you, really."

"Huh?"

I released my hold on her shoulder. "Thank you. For what you did, stepping up and saving me from that waitress. She really fucking scared me." I looked at her. "Thank you."

She blinked at me, her cheeks the slightest pink. "You're welcome."

The noise of the busy street was drowned out as silence lingered around us. We were in a staring contest, silently daring each other to break eye contact first. The way she's looking at me was unlike the usual glare – it's the one as if trying to see through me. The one that assures me I'm close to winning the bet. The one that's starting to…

"Ah!" Red yelped as she stumbled forward, the same time someone shouted a "Sorry!" right before running away.

Luckily, I was in time to catch and break her fall. "Are you okay?"

She craned her neck to look into my eyes. Hers widened before she pulled away. "Y-yes. Thank you."

"You sure you're okay?" I asked again, noticing how her breathing wasn't normal.

"Yes," she answered.

We were walking down the streets again, looking at the shops as we passed by but not entering any of them. We didn't talk, too. Although we're not touching, we were walking close enough to give the impression to others that we're dating. I almost smiled at the thought.

"Oh." She had stopped walking again. I walked to stand in front of her to stop other people from bumping into her.

I looked around to see what caused her to stop. It had started to snow.

"Wow!" She exclaimed as she held out a palm. Her eyes were wide with awe as her green orbs reflected the falling balls of snow.

I snickered. "You're acting as if it's your first time to see snow."

"It's my first time to see snow in months."

"Okay. Should we continue walking, then?"

She nodded but her eyes were still on the falling snow. "Hey," I touched her elbow which automatically averted her eyes towards me. "You can admire it all night outside your house. For now, we need to keep moving in case you forgot we're in a place where a lot of people are walking."

She turned her head from left to right and then let out a gasp. "Right. Will you step back?"

I did and fell in beside her again. "Ready, princess?"

As if to answer, she began walking again. I didn't say anything as I followed her, feeling a small smile carve its way to my lips.

More steps, more turns. More shops, more people. We occasionally stopped in front of some of the shops to point at some things that caught our attention. She marvelled at a painting displayed in one art shop. I pointed to a picture of an eagle with its wings slowly breaking into pieces and asked her if she could paint something like that.

"Aren't you tired yet?" I asked, as we turned to another line of shops.

Red shook her head. "I'm feeling quite energetic today."

"Huh."

"When do you think Alec will call us?" She asked casually but I heard the unspoken question: _What do you think Alec is doing? Do you know who called him?_

Honestly, I was also getting concerned. Not that I didn't like spending some alone time with Red, but Alec really was taking long in dealing with whatever was the subject of the phone call. "You hurt me," was what I replied to Red. "Here you are, alone with me, and yet you talk about another man."

She sighed. "Aren't you concerned for your best friend?"

"Of course I am. But I have no idea what he had to deal with or when he'll call us to meet in his car."

She didn't say anything else for a few minutes after that. I sneaked a glance at her and was relieved to see that she wasn't that worried to show it on her face. "Do you like snow?"

"Huh?"

We reached the part of the place where there are benches placed around so that people could rest from walking. None of us moved to a bench, however, we chose a place to stand where we wouldn't bother anyone. "Do you like snow?" she asked again.

"Why do you want to know?"

She looked up at me curiously. "You said I hurt you when I asked about Alec. So…" She casted her eyes down. "I thought I should ask about you instead."

_Shit_. Why couldn't she be just like the other girls? Those who always asked mundane and senseless questions about me in hopes of only getting me in their beds? Why is this girl enduring me? How could she be here with me and only ask if I liked snow?

"It's okay," I heard her say. "If you don't want to answer, then it's fine with me. It's not like –"

"I hate snow."

Her eyes darted to my face again, all curious once more. "Why?"

I looked ahead and tried to ignore the effects of her eyes staring at me. "I have a horrible memory associated with snow." Three years ago, that snowing day…

"Why?" Red asked. "Were you dumped on a snowy day?" She was teasing, I could tell.

I turned to her. "Why do you like snow?"

Caught off guard by the question, she looked at me questioningly as the traces of her teasing smile faded away. "I, um…" She closed her eyes and I imagined her internally scolding herself for stuttering again. "It's white. It's like a blank canvas, and yet it looks so lovely."

"Not anymore when it's yellow," I smirked.

She glared at me. "Anyway, I felt magical when I first saw it when I was very young. My brother hates it, because he can't stand the cold but I loved it, especially when it falls at night. I love watching it. When I was younger, after my mom tucks me in bed and all the lights in our house were off, I would always get up and watch the snow fall by my window." She was smiling at me now. "The scene of snow falling and covering the world in white – it's what inspired me to start painting and drawing. I thought maybe I was given the talent so I could capture beautiful moments."

Her eyes were dreamy and she's more likely smiling to herself now than to me. For a second, I felt envious. Her childhood seemed like it was full of only happy memories. But whatever envy I felt was washed away when she directed her smile at me once again. "I don't know how bad your memory is with snow, but I hope that there will come a time when it snows and you'll no longer think of it as a bad memory, but a good memory instead."

Before I could respond, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Geez, it's getting cold. Why did I leave my coat in Alec's car?"

I was feeling the cold, too, but I kept my hands to my sides. "I thought you loved the cold."

"I love it when I at least have something to warm me," she defended.

"Here," I stretched out my hand to her.

She looked at it questioningly. "What for?"

"To give you warmth," I replied as I smiled at her. When she made no move to take it, I took her hand myself. She tried to pry hers away but I tightened my hold. "I think we should head back to where the car is parked."

I started to walk and with our hands linked together, she was forced to follow me. "Hey," she protested. "Let go of my hand. Other people might mistake it for something else."

"Let them get jealous," I replied as I firmly held her hand.

"I can't walk properly if you're dragging me like this!"

"Then walk faster."

"Your steps are too big!"

I laughed as I slowed down a bit. "Sorry. I forgot about you…" I looked at her from head to toe.

"Being vertically challenged?" She offered as she forced us to stop. For a moment, I thought I had offended her but then I felt her shaking. She's laughing.

"You annoy me, Jace Herondale," she said as she glared at me. But it wasn't her usual glare. The glare was tinged with playfulness.

"But it makes you like me more," I said.

"It doesn't, because I don't even like you to begin with."

We were still holding hands as we walked. "I can't wait for the day you'll swallow everything you said about not liking me."

"You can wait forever," she replied as she squeezed my hand.

I didn't know if she was even aware that she did it but I squeezed back anyway. "Hey, Red, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes. But first, why do you keep calling me 'Red'?"

"Why, you want me to call you by your name?"

"It's not that. It's just…"

I pulled her a little closer to my side so she wouldn't bump into a running man. "It just came. I mean, I think I told you before that it suits you. You're a redhead. You were like a fire whenever we encountered each other before." A quick glance at her. "You must have grown to really like me since that fire has started to burn low nowadays."

She dug her fingernails into my palm.

"Ow!" I yelped but still didn't let go of her hand. "Okay, you don't like me; you're not attracted to me. But admit it: you're not acting all hateful towards me these days."

"Well," she started, "you're acting less like a jerk towards me so I just…" She shrugged. "Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"

I shook my head. "Nevermind."

"You're weird sometimes," she commented and I snickered. As we continued to walk, neither of us spoke again. And just like that, we blended in with the other people walking, our hands still connected together.

* * *

"Thanks again for today," Red said as she bid Alec and I goodbye.

"No problem, dear," I replied. "I enjoyed."

Her cheeks pinked a little.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you alone with Jace," Alec said. "But as it turned out, I think you two had a good time." He smiled at her and her cheeks flushed a little more.

"Good bye. See you on Monday," she said as she hurriedly opened their gate and almost ran to their front door.

We arrived at where the car was parked the same time as Alec. Upon seeing where Alec's eyes were trained on, she immediately pulled her hand away from mine and took a few steps away from me. The whole way to her house, she looked at neither of us and focused her eyes on the window.

"You embarrassed her, Alexander," I said as Alec started the car again.

"It's not my fault I caught you two holding hands," Alec replied.

I snickered and the concern for him resurfaced. I waited for at least three minutes before I said anything again. "So what's that call about?"

"Nothing," he replied in his best nonchalant voice.

I didn't reply. Alec knows that I know when he says "nothing", it definitely is something he doesn't want to share with anyone.

We remained silent until he spoke again. "You're looking too happy right now."

That was when I caught myself smiling. I quickly wiped it off my lips. "Am I?"

Alec shook his head. "Holding hands, huh. You owe me a treat."

"Jealous?"

"Why would it make me jealous when it made you happy?"

"I am not happy." But the damn smile was back on my face. I looked out my window so Alec would only see the back of my head.

"You're obviously happy, Jace," he insisted. "What I don't understand is, I thought you hate snow. Didn't you tell me you had a bad memory with snow while I was gone?"

"I still hate snow," I said but much to my surprise, the fucking smile didn't leave my face. Yes, I still hate snow because it brings me a bad memory. But I think I hate it just a little bit less because now, I have one small good memory to remember when I see it. And I have Red to thank for it.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Because I felt bad for not updating for so long, I made this chapter long :)

Also, I'm sorry if Jace is confusing everybody. Let's just say that maybe, he's confused himself, too. Hehe.

Please share! I'd love to see some reviews! Love you all.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | January 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	21. Chapter 20

**Author's Note**

Hi! :)

So yeah, I got caught up in my life once again. I actually wanted to update on Valentine's Day but my time-management sucks and exams and requirements are villains to my writing career, so…

Here's the next chapter! I tried to make it as long as I can :) And ugh. It annoys me that the timeline of my story is soooooo late, it's still the Christmas season :( New Year's and Valentine's has passed already. I'M SO SORRY :(

And yeah, I'm on the process of revising and editing all the past chapters so you should be expecting some updates (but not soon). :)

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 20: Christmas Ball – Side A**_

**-CLARY-**

I watch as few snow falls from the sky. The evening news says the snowfall will stop at around dawn tomorrow but I'm starting to doubt the credibility of the report because I think it will stop snowing around midnight.

I'm a bit sad that this snowfall will not last long but also happy, because I wouldn't want to go to a Christmas Ball while it snows.

"Clary?" Simon asks. I shake my head. For a moment, I forget that he's still on the phone with me.

"Yeah, I'm still here. Sorry."

"So," he says, "as I was saying… I'm diagnosing you with arrhythmia."

I roll my eyes. "Arrhythmia's not a joke, Si, a lot of people actually get their lives in danger because of it."

"But based on what you told me, you're showing manifestations of it," he replies. And then the tone of his voice becomes much more playful. "You said your heart was beating irregularly the whole time you walked around while holding hands. You said you couldn't stop it from beating fast every time you're with him the past few weeks."

I groan. After what happened today, after all the confusion that had bottled up the past weeks has doubled, I finally couldn't ignore it anymore. So I had to tell Simon. And he's making me regret telling him the more we stay on the phone.

"Jace Herondale is causing you to have arrhythmia," Simon declares, as if he's actually a doctor.

"You're not really helping me, Simon," I say. "Is this the effect of watching _Star Wars_ with Isabelle?"

I hear what sounds like a restrained laugh. "You could say that. I don't know why I even thought we'd get awkward just because we're not going together to the ball. I mean, I never really gave her signs that I would ask her. I was stupid getting nervous about it." Now he let himself laugh. "God, I love her."

I gasp. "Isn't it too soon to be saying that?"

I imagine him shaking his head. "It's still what I feel."

"Oh, Simon, be careful."

"Of course I will be careful, Clary."

I smile, knowing that Simon means what he said.

Someone knocks on my door before opening it. I look up from my bed to see Jonathan standing in the doorway, not yet entering my room. "You busy?"

He made it sound casual as if he's just checking up on me before sleeping but I hear his unspoken question still: _Can we talk?_

I hold up a hand to him and then whisper to my phone. "I'm sorry Si, but I have to hang up now. Let's talk again tomorrow, hopefully without the mention of arrhythmia or any other heart problems."

Simon chuckles. "Okay, but I can't promise. Good night, Clary. I hope you dream of Jace Herondale." And before I can say something to him, he hangs up.

I'll deal with him later.

The door shuts gently behind Jonathan as he makes his way to my bed. I sit up so he can have space to sit on. "That your boyfriend?"

I snort. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Why? That Lightwood boy rejected you?"

I slightly punch his arm. "Will you stop? You're annoying." One would think I will act nicer to Jonathan since his accident, but I can't help but to act the same with him before. Despite his forgotten memories, he's still the same brother I have – caring but nagging and at times annoying.

He chuckles. "I'm not a brother if I don't annoy my sister."

I smile. "What do you want?"

My brother tenses a little, then. He refuses to look at me. "Just… I'm tired of everyone treating me like I'm going to crack and break at any second. They try not to show it, but I do anyway. And you're the only one who's been treating me like nothing happened to me."

I instantly feel bad for Jonathan. I know he hates being treated differently, like he's special. These past few days must have been hard on him. I reach for his hand and hold it. I don't say anything because I'm not sure what the right thing to say is.

He exhales. "I'm tired, Clary."

"I know."

"I swear I won't know what to do if they won't let me help in clearing out the snow tomorrow." He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair.

"What?" I ask, laughing a little. "Did you just say that?" Before, he would always find excuses just so he wouldn't participate in clearing snow. Though I know the reason why he wants to help now, I can't help but tease him. "Who are you and what did you do to my brother?"

He flicks my forehead, but not too hard. I don't mind the slight sting, though, because his smile is back on his face. His hand moves to my hair, twirling the ends, which, thankfully, are naturally curly. "Your hair's growing longer, it won't take long before it strangles you."

I roll my eyes. "It's barely below my chest, you're exaggerating."

"Cut it."

"No way."

"I hate you with long hair."

I laugh. "You hate me, regardless of my hair length."

"Right." He sighs dramatically. "God, I'm so unlucky to have you for a sister."

I pinch the arm to which the hand on my hair is attached. "Ow! Ow!" he yelps in pain and I join him right away because he's tugging at my hair. With my free hand, I tickle him and he does the same to me. Then a tickle fight ensues.

Minutes later, we fall on my bed laughing. "You're a monster," he says, panting.

I don't have the strength to punch or pinch or slap him. I'm still trying to catch my breath. "If I'm a monster, you're also a monster because you're my brother."

He laughs. "Do you remember when we were kids and our tickle fight got a little bit too serious that you cried like a baby and mom ended up scolding me?"

"Yeah. You didn't talk to me for one whole week and only glared at me." I laugh at the memory. "But when this other kid tripped me when I was getting on the school bus, you stomped hard on his feet that his mom called our parents that night."

"You tried to save me, then," he continues. "You told them I only did it because he tripped you."

"And that's when you started talking to me again." I smile. "That's also when I got saved from being a bullied little girl because everyone was afraid of you."

Jonathan laughs again.

"Hey, do you remember the time when I became a freshman in high school and some of the senior girls who couldn't get your attention pestered me for one whole semester in hopes of me helping them get noticed by you?"

"Ugh. They were annoying. Even swallowed their pride."

"Uh-huh." I tilt my head to the side to look at him. "Just for a junior like you."

"It's not my fault they were attracted to me."

I roll my eyes.

"I just now realized," he starts. "I never thanked you for not selling me to them. You saved me."

"It's nothing. You did the same for me, anyways." I remember it then – having a crush on one of his friends. His name was Marvin, and he knew I was attracted to him so he tried to make a move. But Jonathan was quick to find out about it before I even realized his friend was making a move on me. He got so mad I was afraid he'd hurt him. He ended their friendship. When I asked him about it later, I found out that Marvin had a girlfriend.

"You're thinking about him," Jonathan murmurs, breaking me out of my reverie.

I nod slowly. I turn to look at him again and see that he's already looking at me, his hair rumpled on my bed. "You saved me from a heartbreak then."

His eyes don't leave mine. "I'd save you again and again. I won't let anyone break your heart."

I manage a smile before my mouth opens in a yawn.

Jonathan smiles too and reaches out to pat my head. "Close your eyes. I'll leave when you're asleep."

"Hmm..." My eyes get heavier and heavier. "You're the best brother, Jonathan."

He chuckled lightly. "Go to sleep you little redhead."

My eyes are already closed. "Good night, Jonathan."

"Good night, Clary."

* * *

"Stop it!" I laugh loudly. "Please! Jonathan, you're killing me!" My stomach hurts from laughing as I try to fight Jonathan back. We're having a tickle war again.

"You're gonna throw me another snowball?" he asks as he continuously tickles my side. We aren't even halfway through clearing out snow. My back is starting to go numb from lying on the snow for too long.

"Jonathan!" I manage to sit up but my laughter dies when my eyeglasses fly a few feet in front of me. My brother's hands stop. As I'm about to scramble up to get it, dad starts to walk toward us.

"No, dad, watch out!" Jonathan and I shout at the same time but it's too late. My father has already stepped on my eyeglasses with a crunching sound.

He lifts his foot to look at what he's done. And then he looks at me. "What's your glasses doing here, Clarissa?"

"I…" I trail off, not knowing what to say even though he does not sound or look mad.

"I was tickling her," Jonathan says as he helps me stand up. "It got kind of out of hand."

"Sorry," we both say.

Dad raises an eyebrow. "It's okay. We can't do anything about that right now, can we?"

We both nod. "Also, I kind of started using contacts recently," I add.

"Ah, yes," Dad replies. "The one you bought with your friend?"

I nod. When I told my parents about the contacts, they didn't get angry, as opposed to what I expected their reaction to be. They told me they were okay with it and that mom herself had been planning to buy me one for a time but kept forgetting about it.

"What's the matter?" Mom asks as she joins us.

"Just a little accident," Dad replies. "I stepped on Clary's glasses."

"Oh."

"We should get back to work," Jonathan says.

"Yes sir," I reply, smiling at him.

We both return to our task of clearing out snow. Seconds later, our parents join us. The work is tiring but I can't stop smiling. I miss and want to cherish this, spending time with my family.

* * *

"You look beautiful, honey," Mom says as she's done putting the finishing touches on my make-up – or my excuse for it. We both hate make-up so she only applied very little. As I stare at my reflection, I can't help but see what her magic did to me. I do look a better than my normal everyday look.

"Wow, mom," I turn to face her. "Thank you. You're the best." And then I hug her.

She pats my back and then pulls away. "Enjoy the night, okay?"

I nod. "Thank you again, mom."

She helps me stand up and hands me the silver pouch she lent me that goes well with my dress.

When we reach the living room and Jonathan sees me, I brace myself for his laugh but he only raises an eyebrow. "Wow. Mom managed to make you look human."

I make a face at him, the same time Mom says, "Jonathan" in her warning voice.

She turns to me. "Let me take a picture of you, dear, so Dad can see." Dad is still in school, for their Christmas charity program.

"One, two, smile!" Mom snaps the picture and smiles at me. "Jonathan, go stand beside your sister so I can take a picture of you together."

Jonathan rolls his eyes but still goes to stand beside me. As the click of the camera button goes, I feel his fingers on my head's back. On the upper part.

"That's very mature of you, Jonathan," I tell him.

He shows me his fingers which are still raised up in a V. "Peace!"

I'm about to pinch him when I hear Alec's car outside.

Mom rushes out the door with me. When we reach outside the gate, Alec goes out to greet us. "Good eve, Mrs. Morgenstern," he shakes hands with Mom. He looks at me for a while before smiling and saying, "You look breathtaking tonight, Clary." Which I know is not true. _Breathtaking _is an overstatement.

"Bye, honey," Mom says as she gives me one last hug. "Take care."

"Bye, mom," I murmur in her hair.

As I go inside the car, I hear Mom and Alec exchange goodbyes.

I watch my mom through the window as Alec starts the car. She hasn't gone back inside our house even as we drive away, and she continues to stand there until the car takes the turn leading to the main road.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, Clary. You're so pretty!" Maia says as she gives me a hug.

I widen my eyes at Simon, who's standing behind her.

Maia's eyes shift to my companion. It's their turn to widen. "You're Alexander Lightwood, right?" she holds out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

I can see Alec being baffled by Maia's overfriendliness. I smile at Simon and whisper, "You look good tonight."

"You too," he whispers back as he nudges me by the side a little.

I start to look around the venue, fully appreciating the decorations. I wave a little hello to those I see who I know – a lab partner in Chemistry, a group mate in a report, a regular in the LRC. I can't stop admiring around because everything and everyone is beautiful.

"Should we get a table?" Alec asks as he rejoins me, after greeting other people. A few seconds later, Simon and Maia joins us.

"Will it be okay if Simon and Maia share our table?" I ask back.

Alec smiles. "Sure." He then leads the way to an empty table.

After we are seated, Alec and I both encourage Maia and Simon to get their food first.

"You're wearing little make-up," Alec observes.

I flush a little. "I… I'm quite uncomfortable with wearing make-up."

"It doesn't make you less pretty, though."

I lower my eyes. "T-thank you."

"Are you uncomfortable with social gatherings like this?" he asks.

I lift my eyes and let them wander around. "Only a little now. Before, I couldn't stand them."

Alec laughs. "No wonder you're a bit awkward tonight. At Isabelle's party, too." Then he stands up. "I hope you won't mind. I'll excuse myself to the bathroom."

I smile and nod at him. My eyes return to looking around the place. They stop when they land at a table a few tables from us.

Without my permission, my heart beats faster again. Jace Herondale looks so handsome in his tuxedo, even as his messy blonde hair keeps falling on his eyes. He's smiling and laughing, a hand wrapped around the shoulder of a girl who still looks pretty despite the annoyed look on her face. Sebastian is also at their table, looking as good as Jace, sitting beside the same girl I saw with him in the shower room. They are then joined by my classmate in Trigo and Isabelle Lightwood.

Table of the popular kids. I can't help but wonder what would I have looked like now if I had accepted Jace's or Sebastian's offers to be my date.

Someone puts a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Alec. "Your friends are coming here. Should we go get our food now?"

I nod and let him help me stand. We start to walk toward the long table filled with food. When we arrive there, Alec is immediately greeted by the people who knows him or recognize him from Isabelle's party while I try not to get noticed.

I am almost finished getting my food when someone taps my shoulder. I turn around and my heart jumps a little as I see Sebastian Morgenstern smiling at me. "Hey Clary," he greets.

"H-hey," I reply. "Y-you look handsome." I try to smile at him.

His smile widens. "You look very pretty as always," he says, and I try to fight the blush which I'm sure is on its way to my cheeks.

"T-thank you."

"Hey, let's dance later okay?"

Before I can reply, he walks away, but not before giving me a smile.

* * *

"Let's dance!" Maia says excitedly at Simon, already standing up and waiting for him to join her.

After everyone has eaten their food, and the short greeting of the school principal of "Merry Christmas", people – mostly couples – started to go to the dance floor and sway to the slow songs.

"See you there," Simon smiles at me and Alec as he let Maia drag him away.

"So…" Alec starts, giving me an almost shy smile. "Want to dance?"

I flush. "Um… I can't promise I won't step on your feet."

He laughs a little. "I promise I won't get angry."

So he stands and helps me to my feet then leads the way to where people are dancing.

"Here," he says as his left hand holds my right hand. I hesitantly put my left hand on his shoulder while he puts his right hand on my waist.

I'm so embarrassed I can barely move. Thank goodness Alec is a good dancer because he leads me so good I only step on his feet a few times.

"You're a fast learner," he whispers after our second song.

I try to smile up at him. "Because you're a good teacher."

He chuckles. "At least you won't step on the foot of the other boys who will dance with you tonight."

I want to say there won't be many. Simon is the only one I can think of that I will be comfortable with dancing. And Sebastian…

Alec halts and I'm helpless to follow. I'm about to ask what the matter is when I look at the person who no doubt tapped him on the shoulder.

Jace Herondale.

They speak no words and I can tell they're communicating by their eyes. In the end, Alec sighs and gives a slight shake of his head. He whispers to me, "I'll be around," before finally removing his hand from my waist and walks away.

Jace doesn't bother to watch Alec as he grabs my hand and leads me away from the crowd. Alec and I were dancing on the outer part of the dancing crowd so it doesn't take Jace and I to reach a far corner of the place, dimly lit and the music a faint sound in the background.

I pull my hand away from him. "What?!"

"You look prettier than usual tonight, Red," he says casually, smiling. When he sees my mouth open in a reply, he adds, "You're welcome and I already know I look stunning."

I roll my eyes. "Why bring me here? Why drag me away from everyone?"

He cocks his head and examines me for a while. It is then that I notice his left hand behind his back. "Jace?" I ask again.

"Merry Christmas, Red," he says while smiling wide, handing me a paper bag.

I hesitantly take it from him. "W-what's this?"

"A Christmas present," he replies.

My cheeks heat up and there goes my heart again – losing its rhythmic beating. "Why?"

He shrugs. "Didn't we become friends?"

"I think so. But I don't think we're on the level where we should be exchanging gifts," I reply and my voice lowers. "I haven't even paid you yet for my contacts."

He waves his hand dismissively. "I get into a mood sometimes during holidays, like giving away gifts to the people I like."

_To the people I like_? He likes me?!

Ugh.

Beat steadily, heart.

"I don't have a gift for you," I say.

His smile turns into a grin and I suddenly become a little nervous. "A kiss would suffice, I would say; though it'd be a shame since we don't have any mistletoe around."

I try not to glare at him. "You can have this back then." I thrust the paper bag towards him.

He refuses to take it and pushes it back to me. "I was kidding," he said. "Why don't you open that instead? Maybe then you'd change your mind and give me a kiss."

I'm hesitant to open it. What will I find inside? But his eyes are watching me, waiting for me to open his gift. I take a deep breath as I unlace the ribbon and part the opening of the paper bag, careful not to let the staplers from destroying it. My eyes widen and I gasp the instant I see it.

OH MY GOD.

IS THIS REAL?

I slip my hand inside the bag to touch it, to make sure it is what I think it is. And it is.

I look up at Jace, clueless on how I should thank him. I'm not even sure if I deserve to have it. I'm not someone special to him, so why would he buy me this? "I…" I can't speak. "Umm…"

"Like it?" he asks smugly.

"I…" I look inside the paper bag again and surely, there it is – the green dress that I had wanted to wear for tonight's occasion, the one that I loved the most out of all the dresses he picked for me, the one I can't stop thinking about when I look at my dress tonight.

"Speechless," Jace says. "I'll assume that you liked my gift."

I finally regain my ability to speak. "Thank you, Jace." I brave myself to look into his eyes and smile. "I love it."

He quickly breaks eye contact. A few seconds pass and he then smirks. "Where's my kiss, then?"

I give him a pointed look. He raises his hand in defeat. "Okay, I'll ask you some other time."

"You stole me away from Alec," I say.

His eyes widen in mock surprise. "Sorry. I didn't know you were enjoying dancing with him much."

"Thank you again for the gift," I say. "I'll go look for Alec now."

He quickly grabs my hand before I can take a step. "You're already leaving? Without having a dance with me?"

A dance with Jace Herondale? I don't think I can survive that. I barely hid my fast-beating heart from him when we held hands on Saturday. But dancing with him? I'm not sure we can last one song without him noticing the wild beating of my heart. But still, he gave me the green dress…

"Okay," I mumble.

He smirks, still holding my hand. However, the smirk on his face instantly vanishes as a frown makes its way on his forehead. His eyes are focused somewhere behind my back. He lets go of my hand. "I'll get my kiss and dance later." And then he leaves. Just like that.

What?

Disappointment surges through me, no matter how much I try to fight it. He's _really_ confusing me and I'm starting to hate it. What's the problem with him?

* * *

After long minutes of walking around the venue looking for Alec and Simon, and politely declining offers of dance, I finally give up. I go back to our table and sit. I suddenly feel tired. I'm not even in the mood to dance anymore. I think I want to go home already.

_Because you didn't get to dance with Jace Herondale?_

I shake my head. No! I should stop thinking of him. I should also stop receiving things from him. I should… distance myself from him?

"You look bored."

I tilt my head back to see who the owner of the voice is. I see whitish blonde hair and dark eyes. "S-Sebastian. Hi."

He smiles at me. "Hello, Clary. You look tired."

I try to smile back. "I am a little tired."

He raises an eyebrow. "I didn't see you on the dance floor. Did you dance?"

"Um… yes." He's standing by the table. "You should take a seat."

He doesn't move. "Anyway, I do remember I asked you to dance with me earlier."

I bite the inside of my cheeks. "You want to dance with me?"

He nods. "Very much." He then extends a hand toward me.

I hesitate for a moment before taking it. I'm tired but it's Sebastian who's asking…

He starts to lead me back toward the dance floor and I let him, revelling in the feeling of our hands touching. Not for the first time, I wish he remembers me.

We halt and he faces me, right at the time the song ends and another begins. "Can I have this dance?" The smile on his face makes him much more handsome.

"I…" I remember just when I was about to dance with Jace and he suddenly left. What if…

"Clary?" Sebastian asks. "You okay?"

My attention flicks back to him and I nod. "Y-yes. And of course… we can dance."

The worry in his eyes disappears as he laces his right hand with my left and gently puts his left on my waist. He begins to lead me in time with the song.

"Have you always lived here?" he suddenly asks after a few steps.

"Uh… yes."

"Let's play twenty questions."

I laugh a little nervously to hide my surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he says immediately. "You only have nineteen questions left. What's your birth month?"

I blink up at him, whose eyes never left my face since we started dancing. "July." I pause, not knowing what to ask. "What's your favorite color?"

He thinks for a while. "A cross between red and orange. Is your hair color natural?"

I inhale. I'm reminded of what he asked me when we were young. "It is," I answer. "I got it from my mom." I watch his face to see his expression but all I see is a little twitch in an eye, which I could have easily imagined. "Why," I carefully start, "why is your hair white?"

"Ahh," he lets go of my waist and touches the side of his head, wincing.

"A-are you okay?" I ask worriedly.

He forces himself to nod. "Y-yeah." He's rubbing his temple now. "I just get these headaches sometimes." He sneaks a glance at me. "I'm okay."

He says he's okay but he doesn't look like it. I'm about to tell him that we should rest when he returns his hand on my waist. He smiles at me. "My hair's not white. It's pale blonde, or platinum blonde – whatever you want to call it."

Before he can ask his question, he winces again and this time, both of his hands touch his temples. He looks like he's in pain.

"Sebastian?" I'm getting seriously worried now. "Are you okay?"

"I…" He shakes his head.

I touch his arm. "We should rest."

He takes a deep breath as he steadies himself by holding on my arm. I carefully guide him toward the nearest available place to sit on.

"Do you want me to call someone?" I ask after he sits down.

He shakes his head. "You should go, Clary. Enjoy the rest of the evening. I swear I'll be fine."

I open my mouth to protest but he shushes me. "I'll be fine. Go." He smiles at me and urges me to go. I'm left with no choice but to follow because it seems like he wants to be alone. I can only wish he'll really be okay. He watches me as I back away and even after I turn my back to him, I still feel his eyes on me.

* * *

The cold night air embraces me but I need a breath of fresh air. This night has not been going as I had expected. And I'm getting more confused.

I'm getting used to the feel of cold air on my skin when a soft warmth covers me. I glance at my shoulder and side and see the sleeve of a tuxedo. I move to turn around but a strong pair of hands steadies me before I'm swiftly turned around.

Without looking up, I somehow already know who this person is.

I'm facing his chest.

There's barely even a distance between us.

I'm not feeling the cold air anymore because I'm encased in his embrace.

"Red," Jace's voice is barely a whisper before he buries his head in my hair.

My mind is shouting at me to push him away, to try to break away from him but my hands stay limp by my side.

"J-Jace?"

He doesn't answer but tightens his hands around me and buries his head deeper into my hair. I wait for him, just like I did that afternoon when we saw his father. Then I feel it: my hair dampening and his body shaking ever so slightly.

He's crying.

Jace Herondale is crying.

Jace Herondale is crying into my hair.

Curiosity awakens inside me but it's quickly defeated by sadness. What possibly happened to make him cry to the point of not holding it in? I have so many questions to him and not just about why he's crying. But as usual, my words get stuck in my throat.

So I just continue to stand while he silently cries, comforting him with my presence. As I did before. Me, giving him the assurance of comfort. He, giving me hope that he can let me see more of him other than his playboy façade.

Making me feel like I'm needed… but used.

I can't do this anymore.

I don't push him away, though. I let him dry his tears. I let him compose himself. I let him be the first to pull away. He looks at me with his red-rimmed eyes and smiles one of his nonchalant, non-caring smiles. He's back to the Jace Herondale that everyone knows. "Thanks."

What should I say? 'You're welcome?' I just nod my head at him, not sure if I can trust my voice to speak without letting him know what I'm feeling inside – that I feel used.

He rolls his head to relax his neck. He then looks in my direction but refuses to meet my eyes. "Another moment we should forget about, huh?"

I take a deep breath. "What were you crying about?"

"What?"

I don't look at him. "What were you crying about, Jace?"

He does not reply and I say no more. I did comfort him somehow so I can at least ask about it, right?

"You know you shouldn't concern yourself with matters that will stress you out."

I try to control the boiling anger that's starting deep within me. "You know you should stop going to me whenever you're sad and then act like nothing bothers you after."

Maybe I'm not good at controlling my voice because he finally looks at me, eyes slightly wide with shock. "Red…"

"I have a name!" I shout and I take a moment to be thankful that no one's nearby. "And yes, it bothers me that you keep on running to and seeking comfort from me and then act like it was nothing afterwards. Why didn't you want to talk about your father after that day? Why won't you tell me why you were crying a while ago? Why do you keep on hiding a part of yourself from everyone else? Why do you keep on confusing me? Don't you know I hate what I feel when I'm with you?!"

I look up at him through the heat pooling in my eyes, courtesy of the tears that I'm trying so hard to contain. "What am I to you, Jace Herondale?"

His lips are fixed in a hard line. "What have I done to you?"

I shake my head. "Just…"

He rakes a hand through his hair. "Fuck."

And then…

He.

Walks.

Away.

Just like that.

And I'm left standing, his tux still on me but I feel colder than when I first came out.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Yet another long chapter. This is to make up to all of you for not updating for so long.

Reactions? Suggestions? Please leave a review :) And you might also want to share this to your friends.

I love you all.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | February 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's Note**

SORRY

SORRY

SORRY

SORRY

I keep promising that I'll update fast but I always fail to dos so.

You know my usual excuse: I got too caught up with life yada yada.

So… um… here's the next chapter! It's basically just Jace's side of last chapter. I tried to make it as long as I could. I hope you'll still like it, though :)

And yeah, I'm on the process of revising and editing all the past chapters so you should be expecting some updates (but definitely not soon). :)

**OOC Alert: **This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary, I suggest you don't read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to our beloved author, Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 21: Christmas Ball – Side B**_

**-JACE-**

Dinners with Mom almost always go well. Dinners with Mom and Grandma almost always go awful. Tonight is one of those very rare dinners where the three of us can eat our meals in peace.

"You're graduating in five months," Grandma says, breaking the silence in our table.

"He is," Mom replies for me, getting a disapproving look from Grandma.

"What universities did you apply for? Have you received any acceptance letters yet?" Grandma asks, looking at me.

I shrug. "Applied Physics in Yale, Statistics in NYU, Statistical Science in Cornell."

Grandma purses her lips. "What kind of courses are those?"

They are what he wants," Mom says before I can even open my mouth.

"The National University of Singapore is still accepting application forms. I heard their Business Administration program is excellent."

"No!" Mom lets her fork drop on her plate. "There's no way I am sending my son 10,000 miles all the way to Singapore!"

Grandma also stops eating. "Actually, Singapore's only a little over 9,500 miles from New York, my dear."

Then I feel it – the build-up to one of their numerous arguments, mostly concerning me. I'm wrong, then. This dinner will most likely end up like usual.

"Listen, Imogen," Mom starts. "Jace is my son and only child, and I will never allow him to study in some faraway Asian country, taking up a program that he's not really interested in."

All Grandma does is sigh. "Jace is my only grandson, and he should be ready to manage the family business."

_No grandma, you have another grandson, Austin._ I stay quiet. I don't want to heat up their conversation even more.

Mom shakes her head. "How many times do I have to tell you? Jace will not be inheriting your family business or whatever it is. He will be the one deciding what he'll do in the future."

"And what?" Grandma says. "Let him be a physicist or a mathematician? He has so much potential and I see a future for him in the business!" She doesn't let Mom speak. "If only you didn't let my idiot of a son run away with that woman then we wouldn't be having this conversation."

I know that's not really true. Even if my mom and dad stayed together, I would still be the successor to the family business and Grandma would still want me to study Business Administration, to which Mom is right – it's the least of my interests to take BA and manage a family business in the future.

"If you didn't disown your son, then maybe you could see if he has a child with that woman." Mom's words drip bitterness. She stands up so fast, her chair almost falls over. "This will be last time that man will be mentioned inside this house."

Mom leaves, then and I sneak a glance at Grandma to see her eyebrows knotted and her lips in a thin line. She then turns to me. "Tell your mom to get over your father. It's been long. He doesn't deserve the time your mom spends on being bitter about him."

I don't reply. I don't nod either. My grandmother has always been a blunt person – never bothers to sugarcoat things she wants to say. But what she just said to me is on another level. I never knew Grandma can be that cold.

She studies my silence and lack of response. "We'll talk about your application to NUS tomorrow."

The tone of her voice says that the conversation is over. I'm left with no choice but to finish my dinner while I try to ignore my mom's unfinished meal.

* * *

I was born to play the piano. At least, that's what everyone in the family always told me since I was young. I don't remember how old I was when my fingers first pressed some keys or when I first learned to read notes but I remember the feelings. The calm, the happiness, the contentment. Playing the piano has always been one of my favorite things to do. And it's also one of my grandma's favorites.

Which brings me to now.

"I missed seeing you play," says Grandma as she sits on a sofa while I play Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_ for her.

"I missed playing for you, too." Though it sounds like an obligatory response, it's true. Out of everyone in the family, my grandmother has been the most supportive to me when it comes to music.

They say the musician in me is from my father's side of the family. What I can't understand until now, though, is that I never saw my father show interest in music once; one of my suspicions as to why Grandma loves to hear me play.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Jace?"

I pause, surprised by her question. Why does she suddenly have an interest in my love life?

"No," I reply, going back to playing.

She snorts. "You can easily get one. Just play a piece for her. She'll definitely fall in love with you."

I like to tell her that I can get girls without having to play the piano.

And then Red comes into my mind.

I shake my head. I probably will never tell anyone about it but playing the piano is an important and special thing to me. I have and will not use it to get flings or to win bets.

Grandma's laugh breaks me out of my thoughts. "You're thinking about someone, eh?"

"Of course not."

"Who is she?"

"I wasn't thinking of anyone, Grandma."

"Is she pretty? Is she smart?"

_In her own unique way. Probably_.

I shake my head. "Really, Grandma. I wasn't thinking of anyone."

As I finish, I start another one.

"What's that?" Grandma asks.

"Chopin's _Nocturne No.2_," I reply. It's one of the first pieces that Lily helped me learn. She told me it's one of her favorites.

I miss those days. The days before I confessed to her for the first time. The days when she was still fully comfortable with me. I've ruined it. I've ruined it more than once.

"See, you're thinking of someone again," Grandma comments.

I don't know but a smile carves its way on my lips. "I am not."

She makes a displeased sound. "You're just like your father. Lies outright even though I already know the truth."

My smile disappears. As usual, I don't speak at the mention of my father. I have never told anyone exactly how I feel about him. Hell, I'm not even sure yet of what I feel about him even after all these years.

"Now that I think about it, you never once introduced a girl to me for all the Christmas days I spend here yearly."

"To be fair, I haven't introduced anyone to Mom, either," I reply, wanting the conversation to be over.

She laughs. "Will you promise to introduce at least one girl to me?"

My smile reappears. "Yes? Maybe? When I find the right one."

"Trust me," she says. "A Herondale always finds the right one."

* * *

"Jace, finally, you're here!" Izzy exclaims as she gives me a hug.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I ask when she pulls away to greet my date.

She rolls her eyes at me. "Hi, you look good," she says.

Jessica tries not to roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

I sigh. She's definitely still irritated. "Izzy, this is Jessica. Jessica, you do know Isabelle, right?"

"I know her, Jace," Izzy replies while Jessica gives me a 'duh' look.

"I forgot," I excuse as M comes along and puts a hand around Izzy's shoulder.

"My date's gorgeous, isn't she?"

She removes his hand. "Don't state the obvious."

"My, my, isn't it too early to boast, Isabelle?" Sebastian says as he joins us, of course, with Seelie clinging to his side.

I quirk an eyebrow at him. "And here I thought I was the last to come."

Seb grins. "Sorry. Took some time to finish _and _retouch Seelie's hair and make-up."

Izzy scrunches up her nose. "Eew. Is there something else that the two of you do?" Then adds, "No offense," in Seelie's direction.

His grin doesn't leave his face. "I can't help it. My girl's just too irresistible."

I scoff. "I don't know about you all but I think we all need to take a seat." Without me saying anything, Jessica follows my lead to the nearest vacant table for six.

As the four of them follow, I find out that their topic hasn't changed. "Seriously," M is saying, "you two need to define your relationship. You're not boyfriend-girlfriend, but you're certainly not just friends. We can't call you friends with benefits, too, because you don't see anyone else besides each other. So Seb, Seelie, what's your relationship?"

The two concerned exchange a look. Seb's fingers play with hers. "We like to keep labels off."

Isabelle groans as M shakes his head. I sneak a glance at Jessica to see that she's still in her self-pity.

"Why not?" Seelie asks. "It avoids complications."

I'm very tempted to counter her statement but choose to remain otherwise. I told myself before, over and over – I will not waste any more of my time on her.

M stands up. "I'm hungry. Isabelle, let's get our food first."

After the two of them leave, Seb whispers something to Seelie. The two of them laugh. This continues on for a few minutes.

I roam my eyes around and spot a table not so far from us. Red and Alec. Huh. Their clothes do match but all my attention goes to her. She looks pretty. And she'll even look prettier later when she will probably smile, when _I _will make her smile.

"Hey Jace," Seb's voice forces my attention back to our table.

"Yeah?" I ask as I scoot closer to Jessica, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"I have a joke." He grins.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Shoot me."

* * *

Jessica sighs. "Why won't you dance with me?"

"I'm dancing with you."

She pulls her hand away. "No you're not. You're distracted and not paying attention."

"Stop being so whiny."

"Whiny? Me?!"

"Yeah. I don't understand why you're being like this."

She huffs. "You wanna know why?! It's 'cause I'm your last option! I've asked you if you'd still go to this ball with me and you told me you'd think about it. I refused other guys' offers just because of what you said! And I panicked a week before this ball because you weren't answering my calls and replying to my messages! Do you have any idea how I panicked, thinking I'd go here alone?!"

"Sorry." I stretch out a hand towards her. "Now let's dance?"

She shakes her head and actually looks at my hand in distaste. "I'd rather go home alone. Bye." And just like that, she stomps away.

Great, I just lost my last-minute date. And it's actually better; I can now get on with what I planned.

I start my way to the exit, leading to the parking area, and go to my car. I open the door and reach for the paper bag. Once I closed the door, I lean against it and take a deep breath. _I'm doing this for the bet, nothing more._

* * *

I roam my eyes around and sure enough, I see her dancing with Alec. I make my way towards them. When I'm close enough, I stand behind Red so Alec would see me. He does nothing when I lock eyes with him. I sigh and move so I can reach him. I tap his shoulder, halting him in his steps and stopping both of them in their tracks.

Alec turns to me and questions me with his eyes. I don't speak, I just stare at him and try to convey the message: I let him be her date, he should at least give me some moments with her. We continue our staring contest for a few more minutes before he finally sighs and shakes his head.

I wait for him to remove his hand from her before I grab her hand and lead her away from the crowd. In a matter of minutes, we're in the corner I spied a while ago, undisturbed by others.

I make no move of releasing her hand as I examine her. Right, she does look pretty in that blue dress. And I like that even though she has little to no make-up on, she still looks good.

She pulls her hand away from mine. "What?" She asks, though it doesn't come out as annoyed as she wants it to be.

"You look prettier than usual tonight, Red," I say, smiling. Before she can retort, I say, "You're welcome and I already know I look stunning."

I see the roll of her eyes. "Why bring me here? Why drag me away from everyone?"

I ignore her questions and just continue to look at her. "Jace?" she finally asks.

Putting on a smile, I pull the paper bag from behind me and hand it to her. "Merry Christmas, Red."

Thankfully, she takes it, even though I notice her hesitation. "W-what's this?" she asks.

"A Christmas present," I answer.

"Why?"

Because I feel guilty about this. _No,_ _it's for the bet._ I shrug."Didn't we become friends?"

She thinks for a while. "I think so. But I don't think we're on the level where we should be exchanging gifts. I haven't even paid you yet for my contacts." She mumbles the last part lowly.

I wave my hand. "I get into a mood sometimes during holidays, like giving away gifts to the people I like."

_To the people I like? _Shit. Did I really just say that?

"I don't have a gift for you," she says.

I grin. "A kiss would suffice, I would say; though it'd be a shame since we don't have any mistletoe around."

"You can have this back then." She thrusts the paper bag towards me.

I push it back to her. "I was kidding," I say. "Why don't you open that instead? Maybe then you'd change your mind and give me a kiss."

I watch as she decides if she should open it or not. She takes a deep breath as she opens the paper bag. And I can't help but smile as her eyes widen she gasps.

The surprise and happiness on her face is so evident, I don't know what I should feel.

She slips a hand inside the bag and then looks up at me. "I…" She struggles for words. "Umm…"

"Like it?" I ask.

"I…" She looks inside the paper bag again and admires the green dress I know she has loved ever since she tried it on in the shop. Seeing the happiness on her face lessens my guilt about her not wearing it tonight. At least she owns it now.

When she doesn't say anything more, I speak. "Speechless. I'll assume that you liked my gift."

"Thank you, Jace," she finally gets out of her mouth. She looks into my eyes and smiles. "I love it."

I quickly look away. Inhale. Exhale. I smirk. "Where's my kiss, then?"

Her smiling expression turns into a pointed look. I raise my hands in defeat. "Okay, I'll ask you some other time."

"You stole me away from Alec," she then says.

I widen my eyes. "Sorry. I didn't know you were enjoying dancing with him much."

"Thank you again for the gift," she says. "I'll go look for Alec now."

There's no way I'm gonna let her go back to Alec immediately. We haven't even been together for twenty minutes. And we haven't even danced yet.

Before she can take a step away, I quickly grab her hand. "You're already leaving? Without having a dance with me?"

She's clearly taken aback by my offer of a dance. I let her decide for a while but I don't let go of her hand. I don't know. Holding her hand feels natural to me, just like when we went dress shopping a few days ago.

Finally, she says, "Okay." A smirk finds its way on my lips.

A smirk that doesn't even last a minute because when I look behind Red, I see something I don't like. I let go of her hand. "I'll get my kiss and dance later."

* * *

I don't remember leaving Red.

I don't remember walking around the place.

I don't remember exiting the place and feeling the breeze.

I don't remember anything but feeling the pain of seeing Lily with the same guy she was with in Grumpy Doe.

"Jace?" Lily asks, surprised, when she finally sees me standing at a small distance from them.

My only response is the raise of my eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, as her hold on the man's arm tightens, as the knot in my chest tightens.

I shrug. "I saw you and… him."

I take a few steps forward. "I believe we haven't met yet," I say, giving my attention to the guy.

He glances at Lily before speaking. "I'm Jamie, and you are?"

"Jace," I reply, annoyed that our names are close.

Lily finally speaks. "Jamie, Jace plays the piano. In fact, he went to the same music enrichment program I did when I was younger." She tries to smile at me. "Jamie plays a lot of instruments. When he's not working, he's playing in his band."

I almost roll my eyes. Does she seriously think just because he's a musician, I will automatically like him? Maybe I'll like him even just a little bit if he removes his hand on her back.

I don't reply and an awkward silence takes over.

"Oh," Lily breaks the silence as she turns to Jamie. "I almost forgot. Your mom may be waiting for you too long."

His eyes widen. "Right. Bye, dear." He hugs her.

"I wish I could come," she says as she returns the hug. "Be safe."

And then they plant a kiss on each other's cheek.

As if I'm not even here. I quietly take a few steps back, unable to bear watching them so close. I wait as Lily watches him go.

Right after he's gone, I speak. "Your boyfriend?" I hate how pained my voice sounds. I hate how pathetic I feel.

She turns around and gasps, as if only now seeing me. "Jace, you haven't left yet?"

I shake my head no. "Is he your boyfriend?"

She just nods a little, avoiding my eyes.

"How long?"

"Three months."

Three months? How could I have not known? "You love him?"

"Jace, let's not talk about this." She moves to go but I stop her, holding her arm.

"Lily," I say. "Why?"

"What 'why', Jace?" she replies, trying to break free from my hold.

"Why can't you love me back?" My voice breaks at the end of the sentence; my heart aches from its implication.

Her answer comes quick. "You've only just been a little brother to me all these years. I have only loved you as my brother."

"Even when you knew how I felt for you?"

"It never changed."

I close my eyes to blink back the tears. "I love you."

"No you don't," she whispers. "You were young and lonely and I was there. You shouldn't let your emotions confuse you."

I open my eyes and glare at her even though she still refuses to look at me. "Don't dictate what I feel or not feel for you. And don't you get it? I fell in love with you because you were the only one who made me happy during those lonely and miserable times.

"It started as adoration, an innocent crush, and as I grew older, I understood that what I felt for you was much more than that. I love you. I've known you since I was ten and I've loved you since I was fourteen. How can you tell me that what I feel for you is just my confused emotions?"

She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "You go out with tons of girls."

"They mean nothing to me."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

I shake my head. "You should know by now that you're special to me."

"That doesn't change anything," she replies.

"Look at me," I say. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me."

She looks at me, her hazel eyes boring into mine. "I don't love you, Jace. I don't love you as a man."

The words hurt, but what hurt most is the fact that I see and hear no lie in her eyes and voice.

She's telling the truth.

She doesn't love me.

She probably never will.

I don't close my eyes. I don't avoid her gaze. I look her straight in the eyes. "Thank you, for being honest." I force my lips to a smile.

I start my steps away from her.

"Jace?" She says. "Thank you, too."

I don't reply.

_Good bye, Lily._

* * *

Not knowing what to do or where to go, I start to go back inside the ball venue. I'm on my way when I see her.

She's alone and even though she's not showing it, I can tell she's cold. Without thinking, I start my way to her, removing my tux in the process. Once I reach her, I drape my tux around her shoulders. She instantly tenses but before she can move, I steady her with my arms. And as swift as I can, I turn her around so she's facing me.

I pull her so close to me that I don't even feel any distance between us.

I welcome the warmth from her body, though it does little to the cold deep within me. _I don't love you, Jace. I don't love you as a man._ Lily's words are haunting echoes repeatedly playing in my mind. I want to run away from them.

I don't know why but the next thing I know, my face is buried in her red curls. I close my eyes, trying to forget what Lily said, what Lily doesn't feel. Who Lily is.

"J-Jace?" Red hesitantly says and somehow, hearing her makes me tighten my arms around her and bury my head deeper. I want to drown in the warmth and comfort she's giving me.

I drown in my tears instead. I don't feel the first drop fall but I feel the hurt flowing through me, leaving me through my tears. I feel the slight shake of my body as the tears I tried so hard to suppress finally break free.

I don't know what I have become. This is not me. Jace Herondale never shows his tears to anyone. But for once, I let myself be lost. I let myself cry. I let myself get the comfort I can.

I lose track of time and I'm not sure how long I cried but somehow, I'm able to compose myself, enough so I can pull away from her without feeling weak. We're now standing with a decent distance between us. I force a smile on. "Thanks."

_Thanks, because somehow, I get an unexplainable comfort and warmth from you. Somehow, you give me a little peace to hold on to._

She responds with only a nod.

I roll my head to ease the stiffness of my neck. I try to look her in the eyes but fail. "Another moment we should forget about, huh?"

She takes a deep breath and when she speaks, it's not her expected agreement. "What were you crying about?"

I'm taken aback by her sudden question, I can only respond with, "What?"

"What were you crying about, Jace?" She presses on.

What does she think she's doing? Why is she suddenly asking questions?

I wait for her to speak, to tell me to never mind her question but she doesn't. I realize she's waiting for me to answer. "You know you shouldn't concern yourself with matters that will stress you out."

I see her chest rise and fall as she breathes slowly and deeply. "You know you should stop going to me whenever you're sad and then act like nothing bothers you after."

I try not to flinch as I hear the hurt in her voice and I finally look at her. "Red…"

"I have a name!" she shouts. "And yes, it bothers me that you keep on running to and seeking comfort from me and then act like it was nothing afterwards. Why didn't you want to talk about your father after that day? Why won't you tell me why you were crying a while ago? Why do you keep on hiding a part of yourself from everyone else? Why do you keep on confusing me? Don't you know I hate what I feel when I'm with you?!"

Every word that falls from her mouth is like a punch to me. The final blow comes when she looks up at me, her eyes gleaming with tears that have yet to fall. "What am I to you, Jace Herondale?"

Shit. Shit. Shit. "What have I done to you?"

She slowly shakes her head. "Just…"

What the fuck have I gotten myself into? I rake a hand through my hair. "Fuck." I need to get the fuck away from her before I can fuck things up more.

Without saying anything anymore, I walk away.

I don't look back.

I don't want to see the expression on her face as I leave.

I don't want to stay in this place for one more second.

Screw this place and screw this night.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

I did my best to make this chapter good. This is to make up to all of you for not updating for so long.

Comments? Reactions? Suggestions? Kindly leave a review, please :) And you might also want to share this to your friends.

I love you all and I'm sorry for my shortcomings.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | April 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	23. Chapter 22

**Author's Note**

No. You're not dreaming.

Yes, I just updated.

Unusual? Well, I couldn't stop writing so I ended up finishing this chapter!

So… because I love you all, here's an update! :D

I'm glad majority of you liked the previous chapter. I'm afraid this one's not as good as the last but I assure you, the next chapters to come are going to be better!

Just a heads up, though. My next update will probably come around the last week of May or first week of June because my finals are coming… which means I will need to devote a lot of my time to school. (Please pray for my grades T_T) **So please. Even if I haven't for weeks, don't ever think I have abandoned this story. Patience is a virtue, remember? ;)**

Well, I won't keep you waiting. Here's chapter 22! Hope you like it! :)

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 22: Decisions**_

**-JACE-**

Strangely, I wake up with no headaches despite staying up all night. It's past ten in the morning and it's a wonder why Mom or Grandma hasn't sent anyone to wake me, considering I barely left my room yesterday.

They can't blame me, though, right? I had the shittiest night on Monday and I deserve at least one day away from the world. I roll on my stomach and stretch an arm to get my phone from the end table.

Only a few seconds after I turn it on, I'm bombarded with messages from M and Izzy and Alec, mostly M. Upon reading the contents of their messages, I sit bolt upright on my bed. Seriously?

Even though I want to extend my vacation from the world, I force myself to stand up and go to the shower. I'm not really too keen to leave the house yet but I know I'll have to eventually and the time has come.

* * *

"Jace," he says as I enter the living room. "I thought you have forgotten about me."

I roll my eyes as I sit next to him, stretching my hands behind my head. "I just had to take a break."

"I didn't see you leave the ball," he says.

I shrug. "It got boring."

"Huh."

I tilt sideways to look at him. "So what happened? Did someone tire you so hard you had to go to the hospital?"

His expression darkens a little. "Right. I almost forgot. I want to talk to you about something."

"Dude, I'm getting chills because I also want to talk to you."

His expression doesn't change. "It's about the bet."

Time to get serious, then. "What about it?" I ask, hoping that whatever he'll say will not contradict with what's on my mind.

He shakes his head. "Let's end it."

Fuck yes. I examine his face but don't meet his eyes. "Why?"

A deep breath. "I don't feel she deserves to be the girl in the bet."

_Me too_. "That's all?"

He shrugs. "Yeah."

I know he's not telling me something but I don't push him.

"Besides," he says, "it's progressing too slowly. Neither of us is even close to winning."

_Don't you know I hate what I feel when I'm with you?_ Her voice plays in my mind, accompanied by that tightening in my chest that I have yet to acknowledge. She didn't say it out right but the implication is obvious – she feels something for me. I may very well have won the bet already.

I say nothing to Seb, still intrigued as to why he suddenly wants the bet to end, when I'm supposed to be the one to propose it. It's actually the same thing I had wanted to tell him when I came here.

"So," he starts, "do you agree?"

I nod. "Yeah."

His eyes widen. "Why?"

I shrug. "You're right. It's progressing too slowly. It's starting to get boring."

He lifts an eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

"Man, this week sucks," I say as I close my eyes.

"Agreed."

"You still haven't told me why you had to go to the hospital."

Seb sighs. "It's not of much importance."

"I don't think so," I reply. "M and Izzy were worried."

Another sigh. "Remember the headaches I told you about the day we became close?"

"The side-effect you got from the accident? Yeah, why?"

"They keep coming more frequently these past few weeks."

I tap my fingers on the soft material of the sofa. "What did the doctors say?"

"They think my memories may be coming back."

I smile a little. The story goes like this: When he was around ten years old, Seb's family got in a fatal car crash that took his family and almost him. It happened that the infamous Morgenstern couple of the business world was at the same hospital he was rushed to. They were there because of Mrs. Morgenstern's fifth miscarriage. A few days later, they ended up adopting the boy with no identity, no family and no memories.

"That's a good thing, Seb."

"No," he replies almost immediately.

I look at him, surprised. "Why?"

He shakes his head. "I just… I'm fine with my life right now. I don't really mind if I never recover my memories anymore."

"But don't you think you need to know who you were before?"

He lets out a lifeless laugh. "I feel complete just the way I am right now."

He says it as if he's trying to convince himself. "Well… what did the doctors say about why your memories are trying to come back now, after many years?"

He looks at me, puzzled. "That's my problem. They say there's a trigger or something."

"Ah," I say. "You have no idea what the trigger is."

He nods slowly. "It's really bothering."

"Have you told your parents?"

He shakes his head no. "Only you, M, and Isabelle know."

I raise a brow. "They didn't know you went to the hospital?"

"They're busy," he replies.

Now that he mentions it, I notice their house is quiet. "Tomorrow's Christmas eve."

"I know. They're flying home from Germany tonight."

"Well, do you plan to tell them?"

Before Seb can reply, someone joins our conversation. "Oh please convince him, Jace. He's been saying no since yesterday."

I turn and see Izzy, all dressed up in jeans and a sleeveless top, a folded coat slung on her arm, the other, carrying a box of Krispy Kreme donuts.

"You know he's stubborn."

She shakes her head at Seb as she sets the box of donuts on the table. "We brought you something to eat. I was planning to bake some myself but Alec told me I have no time."

It suddenly dawns on me. Shit. I can't believe I forgot. "Where's Alec, Izzy?"

"Here," Alec's voice answers in a bored tone as he enters the living room with M. "Glad to see you're still alive."

"Same sentiments here," M says as he plops down beside me. "What happened to you?"

"Just needed a break," I answer.

I feel Alec look at me suspiciously. "Jace, I have something to give you. I left it in the car, though. Get it with me?"

Understanding what he really means, I give a small nod and stand from the sofa. "Be back, guys."

As soon as we reach his car, Alec leans on it. "I want to talk to you."

"Go on," I answer.

He shakes his head. "Not here, not now. Let's talk when I come back."

"Gee, thanks. Now I have to go through Christmas and New Year wondering what you're going to tell me. It would be really fun."

His lips set in a tight line. "I'm serious."

I frown. "So am I."

"You two done?" Izzy yells at us as she pokes her head out the front door. Alec nods at her and she walks out, followed by Seb and M.

"We need to leave, Alec, or we might miss our flight," Izzy says as she joins us.

"Have a safe trip," Seb says. "Thank you for dropping by."

Izzy smiles. "See you guys when we come back! Enjoy the holidays!" she says before she climbs in the car.

Alec nods at Seb. "Take care of yourself." Then at me. "See you when we come back, Jace."

"Have a safe trip," I say. "Say hi to Maryse and Robert for me."

He gives us a small smile before getting in the driver's seat.

M claps us on the back. "Well, I gotta go accompany the Lightwoods to the airport. You two behave, okay?"

Seb rolls his eyes. "Be safe," he says before going back inside his house.

The car's horn sounds. "Guess you should hurry."

He rolls his shoulders. "Yeah. Talk to you soon."

I wait before the car pulls out of the driveway before I go back inside Seb's house.

* * *

"Sebastian's not here," Milly says as she hands me my order.

I'm currently in Seb's family's bar.

"I know. I just visited him this morning."

The brunette sits down in front of me across the bar. "I've been working here for years. You never came here alone."

I shrug as I take a drink. "There's always a time for firsts."

"So, what's your problem?"

"Do I need a problem to come here?"

"The only time you boys come here are when you're in a celebratory mood, or you're sad. It's obvious it's not the former, so spill your problem."

"Is counselling boys part of your resume, too?"

"You remind me so much of my husband when we were younger."

I raise an eyebrow. "Husband? When did you get married?"

She lifts her left hand to show me a simple ring. "Two months ago."

"I didn't know. No wonder you levelled up your sisterly-prodding to motherly-prodding."

"Shut up, I'm only twenty-seven."

"Yes, mother."

She takes the glass from my hands. "Tomorrow's Christmas eve. Can't have you spending the whole day nursing a hangover."

I stretch my arm to retrieve it but she's already stowed it away. "I've only had three glasses."

"No. I counted five. Here's what I always tell young customers: you can't always drink your problems away."

I slump down on the bar. "I wasn't trying to drink my problems away."

"Yeah? So what?"

Silence. And then, "Why do girls prefer older boys?"

"Ah," I hear her exclaim. "Someone broke your heart."

"And I probably broke someone else's too."

"Uh-huh. What else?"

I don't think before I open my mouth. I'm feeling hazy already, anyway. "My first love broke my heart and I ended up breaking someone else's in return. I'm horrible. I don't know what to do."

"Go on."

"Please give me back my glass. I want to drink."

I think she tsks. "You're already drunk enough. You can't talk if you have one more glass. Go on, continue and pour your troubles out."

The better part of my mind is slowly slipping away. I've only talked to Milly occasionally and I know she can be trusted but still, I don't want to tell her this. The alcohol gets the better of me though. "She only saw me as a brother, you know. She said she never loved me the same way I loved her."

"Poor boy."

"I feel numb whenever I think of her. I feel nothing."

"You have to move on."

"But then I feel an ache in my chest when I think of her – the one whose heart I think I broke. But when I think of Lily, the numbness returns. Then Red comes along and the ache returns too. It's been a cycle since that night."

"Do you care about her?"

"Yeah. A lot."

"No, I mean the girl whose heart you say you broke."

"Yeah. A lot."

She says something I don't catch, thanks to the world that's starting to spin around me.

"I have no idea what to do, Mils."

Again, her reply enters my ears in a string of blurred words.

"I'm fucked," I barely get out of my mouth.

"Yes, you are," I hear her say before everything blacks out.

* * *

When I come to consciousness, I welcome the headache. I'm in my room, naked except for my boxers. I massage my head, thanking the pain for waking me up.

"Finally," the stern voice of my grandmother catches my attention. She's standing by my window, curtains open, looking outside.

"Hi, Grandma."

She turns around and glares at me. "You don't come out of your room for a day and when you do, you go out drinking?!"

I wince. Her shouting does no good to my headache.

"Sorry."

She turns her back to me again. "This is your mother's fault. I told her we should wake you up but no, she has to be a passive parent and give you a day to yourself. How long has she been allowing you to go out and drink?!"

It's a good thing she's not facing me or else she'll see the frown on my face. "It's my fault. I never told her nor asked for her permission."

She sighs. "You remind me of your dad. He used to always be defensive of Celine."

I don't respond. I don't need to justify why I defend my mom.

Grandma faces me again, this time, with gentleness in her eyes. "Go change. The Blackthorns are celebrating Christmas Eve with us. They'll arrive in an hour or so."

I nod.

"And Jace? Don't forget to thank your friend for bringing you home last night."

* * *

After a good long shower, I change into a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. I don't want any more scolding from Grandma and Mom.

I lay on my bed, not yet wanting to go downstairs. As I open my phone to check for messages or calls, a note greets me.

_Go for the one who makes you feel. It's better to feel pain, than feel nothing at all._

I stare at it for a good two minutes before I delete it. Even so, the message is already etched in my mind.

But what does it mean? Does it mean what I think it does? And who left that? Damn headache for blurring last night's events.

My door slams open to reveal M leaning against the doorway. "You selfish dick."

"Heh."

He makes no move to enter my room so the door remains open. "You're welcome for last night, by the way."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It's not like I called you or something."

"You didn't," he replies. "Milly did, after you passed out."

I mentally curse myself for drinking too much. So Milly's probably the one who left the note. I wonder how much I told her.

"Ugh. You could've just brought me to your house. You knew my grandmother's here."

He scoffs. "And let you be a role model for my siblings to follow? No way."

"You're just afraid they're going to love me more than you."

He rolls his eyes. "Have I told you Jules's bestfriend has a crush on you? A lovely girl but with poor, poor, taste."

"Shut up M," I say as I stand up to join him. "Oh, right. _Mark_. I forgot you're in big brother mode."

Only a few steps and we meet his brother, glaring at him. "Emma would kill me. She'll think I told you she has a crush on Jace."

M waves him off as we pass by him, the young boy following us. "It's not my fault she can't hide her feelings well." We're nearing the living room. "And besides, didn't anybody teach you it's bad to eavesdrop?"

His voice lowers. "I didn't mean to. Jace's grandma asked me to check on you two."

"It's okay, Julian," I say as I pat his back before going straight to Mom, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She gives me a smile as she nods to our visitors seated in front of the TV. "Greet the Blackthorns."

I go over to them. "It's nice to have you here," I say my usual greeting. First to the twins, Livia, whose lap is occupied by the three-year-old Tavvy – whose head I pat gently – and Tiberius, with eyes glued to the TV while offering a hand for his baby brother to play with. Next comes Drusilla, telling a story to Grandma, who nods approvingly at me. I stop and sit beside Julian and M, who are both watching their younger siblings.

Over the years I had known M and the holidays I've spent with the Blackthorns, I had grown fond of his half-siblings. In some way, they make me feel like an older brother – something Izzy's sisterly affection and Alec's brotherly-affection can't provide me – ever since Max died.

Mom and Grandma mysteriously also developed some fondness over the big family. Ever since their dad died, M's siblings have been living with their Uncle Arthur in Los Angeles. M plans to study in UCLA for college so he can finally move in with them, especially since their older sister is in some faraway island.

Stella and Austin suddenly pop on my mind. They're probably blissful right now with Amatis and our dad. I haven't seen them since the first time we met and as hard as I try to ignore it, I can't deny I'm missing them.

I wish I can talk about them to someone but the person I want to talk with probably hates me right now.

I feel Julian poke me by the side. "Just to be clear, Emma recently told me she's trying to get over her crush on you."

I can't help but smile. "Tell her not to."

Julian only raises an eyebrow as M chuckles and says, "You heartbreaker."

Right, Red – _Clary_ – probably hates me right now. After all, I somehow broke her heart.

One. Two. Three.

The pain of her words comes to me.

And then… _Go for the one who makes you feel. It's better to feel pain, than feel nothing at all._

Fuck. I will never go drinking alone again.

"Can I choose the movie?" Drusilla's voice catches our attention as she looks at Grandma for permission.

"You can," Mom answers before Grandma can. "The shows on the TV are boring. Jace, will you help with the setup?"

I nod as I stand up and plug the external speakers into the TV. M helps as well, bringing his sister to the shelf where DVDs are displayed.

As I return to the sofa where Julian sits, I see him watching me carefully.

"What?" I ask as I sit beside him, ruffling his dark hair.

"How do you get girls to like you?"

I almost laugh. "I'm naturally charming. It can't be taught."

He pouts. "I'm serious."

"Why do you want to know?" I challenge.

A shrug.

I smirk then. "You're crushing on someone."

Before he can react, I say. "Ah. You have a crush on your bestfriend. What's her name? Right, Emma."

I look at him and see his flushed cheeks. "That's why you're staring at me. You see me as competition."

"I do not!" He almost yells and turns his back to me. I laugh and only grin at Mom when she looks at us questioningly.

"What's the matter?" M asks as he rejoins as.

"Your brother has a crush on his best friend."

"Ooh."

"I do not," Julian grumbles before he forces himself next to the twins.

"Man, that sucks for Jules. Liking someone who likes someone else."

Lily.

Fuck.

When will this cycle end?

* * *

I lie on my bed, staring at the small piece of paper. It's starting to tear due to the numerous times I've folded and unfolded it.

My mind momentarily forgets about the paper when something plays on my mind for what seems like the hundredth time already. _Go for the one who makes you feel._

Ugh. Damn Milly.

I can't sleep because I keep thinking of her note. I can't sleep because I'm tired from our Christmas Eve's celebration a few hours ago. I can't sleep because Milly's note won't leave me alone. And I can't sleep because I know exactly what it means now since I already remember what happened in the bar.

But should I take her advice?

I know in my heart of hearts that what I told Milly is true – I do care for Red – _Clary_ – now. But what if I ended up hurting her more? Especially now that I'm still just trying to get over my unrequited feelings for Lily?

The numbness brought by the thought of Lily instantly goes away as the pain from hurting Clary comes.

_Go for the one who makes you feel._

I snap my attention back to the piece of paper and close my eyes.

One deep intake of air. I breathe out of my mouth.

Okay… I will try.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

"OH MY GOD CLARY, JACE WILL USE YOU AS REBOUND" is probably going to be most of your reviews (because I'm assuming you will all review this chapter. Right, right? :D)

And yeah, M's identity is finally revealed! :) I haven't finished _Lady Midnight_ yet (I haven't even encountered Mark there yet) so I guess I'll just laugh at myself on how different my M is with Cassie's Mark Blackthorn. To be honest, M has always been Mark Blackthorn for me and even when I finish LM, I won't change a thing about my M (because fam, this is is fanfiction).

Also, I'm liking the Blackthorn siblings the more I read about them in _Lady Midnight_ so I thought they should make a cameo here ;) **PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ANY SPOILERS IN YOUR REVIEW ABOUT LADY MIDNIGHT OR I MIGHT STOP UDPATING, MAYBE, FOREVER. LOL.**

Watch out for the next chapters! :) I hope you can all wait for weeks until this semester is over so that I can update again :(

I love you all. Please share and review! xx

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | May 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's Note**

HURRAY! I have finally updated! (I died during my finals and came back to life to write this chapter just for you, haha)

I won't talk here for long. Just that, I'm really, really thankful to all of you who bears with the very slow update on this story. Thank you for your patience with me and all the support.

THANK YOUUU!

Here's Chapter 23!

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 23: Restart**_

**-CLARY-**

"Hurry, make space for me," Jonathan says as he runs toward us after he pressed the timer on the camera.

He takes his place beside me and smiles, just in time as the camera flashes.

I go towards it and get the picture, shaking it so the photo will process. At the same time, I place my camera on one of the TV rack's levels. I make my way to our dining table where Dad and Jonathan are already seated and Mom just finished serving plates.

I hand the now processed photo to Jonathan. "It came out right."

He looks at it and grins. "See, I can also be a good photographer like you." He hands it to Dad, and he and mom both look at it.

"Nice," Dad says.

"Very," Mom smiles. "Our first picture in 2016."

Jonathan raises his glass of juice to me. "Here's for more to come!"

I roll my eyes but clink my glass with his still. "Where's my gift, then?"

"Don't be such a child, Clary. New Year's gifts are for children," he says.

I'm about to open my mouth but Mom pats me on the shoulder. "Isn't your brother's presence here enough gift for this New Year's eve?"

I smile guiltily. "I'm sorry, Mom." I look at Jonathan. "Sorry."

He just grins at me. "Can we eat now?"

"Of course, dear," Mom says as she tries to serve him food but a gentle hand from Dad stops her.

I see Jonathan's mouth mumble a thanks to our father and in order to not make Mom feel bad, I volunteer my plate to her.

She happily serves me food. "So, any plans for the year?" She asks us in general.

Jonathan groans. "I'll have to spend the first few weeks trying to catch up with the classes I missed."

"We told you, you can continue next school year."

My brother shakes his head. "And what? Get delayed for a year? No way."

Our parents lock eyes and simultaneously shake their head.

"What about you, Clary?" Dad asks.

"Hmm… I dunno. Maybe I'll do a little more exploring with photography." I shoot him and Mom a grateful look. "Thanks for the Polaroid camera."

"It's alright, honey," Mom replies.

"What about college?" Dad asks. "You're an incoming senior this year."

I swallow. "Um… yeah, about that…" I look at my dad and smile worriedly. "You still don't like me to take Fine Arts?"

Dad just sighs. Enough answer.

Mom gives me an encouraging smile. "There's still enough time to decide, dear."

I nod, though I know that's not enough time to convince my dad.

Jonathan refills my juice and whispers, low enough so I only I can hear. "Cheer up."

I smile at him and finish my food.

* * *

"Happy New Year, Clary," Simon says through the phone.

"Happy New Year, Simon," I reply.

"Clary, I'm raising my can of soda right now," he whispers and then clears his throat. "Here's to a productive and merry 2016!"

"With no drama," I add as I also raise my canned grape juice in an invisible toast.

"And heartaches," he adds.

I smile, even though images of blonde hair and playful smiles flash through my mind.

"Happy 2016!" We say to each other at the same time. "Good bye, 2015!"

"Well," Simon starts. "We gotta sleep now, Clary. We can't afford to be sleepy for the rest of the year."

"Yes," I reply. "Good mor-night, Simon."

"Same to you." He hangs up.

_Goodbye 2015_. How I wish it can be that easy to rid of last year's pains.

I close my eyes and wait for sleep to claim me, at the same time wishing that no more bad dreams will come.

* * *

"Mom," I start as I enter the living room, combing my damp hair in the process. "Why didn't you wake me? I thought we will go to the grocery together."

Nothing. The living room is empty where I thought my mom will be. Huh. Weird.

"Jonathan?"

The front door opens and Mom walks in with a slightly confused face. "Clary. Someone's here to see you."

"Huh?"

"He's outside."

I'm confused. Surely, it isn't Simon because my mom will automatically let him in. And she already knows Alec and even Jace…

Can it be Sebastian?

Without thinking, I hurry to the door and when I reach our gate, I'm met with no dark eyes and pale hair.

Instead, standing there is _him_ – him with his golden hair and eyes, standing tall; just like he often looks. Well, except for his smile that's not cocky as he always wears them. Right now, his lips are curved in an almost-shy smile.

I remember the last time I talked to him and what happened after. I glare at him without saying anything and turn to go back to our house but before I can go anywhere, he swiftly blocks my way.

I glare up at him.

"Hey," he starts casually, as if we're old friends who haven't seen each other in a while. "Let's go out today."

No. Freaking. Way.

"Please, _Clary_."

_Clary_. He called me by my name and he said please. Is he really Jace Herondale?

And really, heart, why are you beating faster?

I finally stop glaring at him. "Why should I?"

He takes a deep breath. "I… can you give me at least just this day to try to make it up to you?"

"For what?" I ask lowly, even though I already know his answer. I just want to hear it from him.

He closes his eyes. "For everything I've done wrong."

"I… I'm gonna have to think about it."

"Okay," he says as he unblocks my path. "I'll wait here."

I open my mouth to reply but no words leave. Fine. I take a deep breath and march back to our house.

"Hey, mom," I reply as I enter the living room, just as Mom comes out, all ready for grocery shopping.

"Oh, hi. You getting ready for going out with your friend?"

"Huh?"

"Your visitor. Jace, right?"

"Um… about that…" I slump down on the sofa.

Mom rushes to my side. "Oh. What's the matter, sweetie?"

"It's just…We're not really on good terms right now. He actually came here to try to fix um, what we can call as our friendship."

"Then what's the problem?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure if I want to."

"But honey, he came all the way here. I think that's a sign of sincerity that he really wants to save your friendship and you should give him a chance."

I look at my mom's eyes, a mirror of my own. "You do?"

She nods at me, patting down my hair. "Don't worry about grocery shopping. I somehow managed to convince your brother to come with me."

I smile thankfully at her. "Thanks, mom."

* * *

I open my mouth after his fourth glance. "What?" I ask as he drives us to who knows where.

"I'm just thankful you agreed to today." He flashes me a small smile before returning his attention to the road.

"You should thank my mom, she's the one who convinced me."

"I won't forget, then."

Great. We're talking, dancing around the subject we should really discuss on. It's better than silence, though. "Where are you taking me?"

"Where do you wanna go?"

I'm taken aback. He's usually the one who decides and I just come with him whether I want to or not. I shrug. "You decide."

"No," he replies. "I want you to decide."

I'm silent for a while, trying to think of a place to go. "Um, how about that dog café everyone's been talking about?"

He lets out a laugh, I think. "Sorry. I'm not really fond of dogs."

"Well, how about I look out the window and we go to the first place I see where we can eat?"

Now I'm certain that he laughed. "Sure."

Despite our situation, I smile as my eyes land on the place. "It's the dog café I was talking about."

I wait for his reaction and all I get is a sigh, a loud one.

"Fine," he says, swerving his car so we can park.

I let myself a little giggle.

* * *

We're back to his car, him driving to somewhere he's not offering and me, thinking back to our awkward attempt of having a civil meal.

He talked, asking how Christmas and New Year went by for me and in return, I asked him back. It almost felt like we were friends catching up on each others' lives. Also, the dogs gave us a topic to talk about.

"Where are we going to now?" I finally ask.

"Brooklyn," he replies.

I choke a little. "Excuse me?"

"What?"

"Why are we going there?"

"The parks there are more peaceful with less people."

"But…"

"It's still early. Don't worry, I'll bring you home safe."

I don't risk getting in an argument with him. "Okay."

"So," I start, not wanting silence to settle again. "You're graduating this year."

"Yeah."

"Any plans?"

"I'm not really too eager to talk about college. My grandmother doesn't approve of what I want to take."

My eyes widen a little. I've been noticing that during our conversations in the past hour, he has been offering some things about him, which he never did before with the exception of when we saw his dad. Maybe I can try playing along with him. "I feel you. I really want to take Fine Arts in college but my dad doesn't approve. He thinks it won't be worth it."

He laughs a little. "At least you still have one year to convince him."

"I don't think I can ever change his mind. I've been trying for years."

"Don't give up."

"You tell yourself that."

He shakes his head. "My grandma even took the initiative of filing my applications to the university she wants me to go to."

"I don't know your grandma, but I'm already scared of her."

"At least you'll be ready when you meet her."

I open my mouth then close it. I turn to him a bit the same time he does and we lock eyes for a second before I look away towards the window and he, back to the road.

An awkward silence takes over.

I'm getting confused all over again. Okay, I at least get that he's trying to connect with me by sharing little details about himself but why did he suddenly make mention of me meeting his grandmother? It's not like we're on that level of closeness… yet?

"Sorry," he says after a long time.

"Um…"

He pulls the car to a stop. "No, listen. I know you know we should be talking about something else and I really suck at making very serious conversations so I'm sorry if I occasionally say uncomfortable things. I came to you today hoping to clear things and if you could just bear with me. Just… let's talk, okay?"

I just stare at him. When he turns to look at me, it's when I finally realize he's waiting for me to say something. Not really ready, I say the thing that's been on my mind the whole time I was listening to what he was saying. "Are you really Jace Herondale?"

He smiles that shy smile he's been wearing since we met at our gate this morning. "Come on, let's find a nice place to sit by and talk."

Then I realize we have already arrived. I didn't even notice the time. "Sure."

As we get out of the car, he asks, "Do you want anything? Ice cream? Juice?"

I shake my head. "I'm alright."

He nods distractedly, as if he's unsure of what to do. Finally, I take the initiative to venture into the park and find a good, peaceful spot.

He catches up next to me. "Sorry," he whispers.

I stop in my track, making him do the same. I look up at him. "You've been saying sorry a lot of times I'm actually beginning to worry that it's really you." I regret the words the moment they leave my mouth. Who am I to say that as if I know him thoroughly and deeply?

I quickly shake my head. "No, I shouldn't have said that. But you really should stop saying sorry, not until we're sitting down and talking."

His eyes are unreadable. "Okay."

I nod and turn and continue to walk, hugging myself a little, wondering how the talk will go. I hope it ends well.

**-End of Chapter-**

**(A/N: LOL. Who am I kidding. I'm not that mean to make you wait long for "the talk". HAHAHAHAHAHA. I just felt like trolling you all and giving you a few seconds to take a deep breath for what's next. I love you and I'll try to promise this will be the last of these jokes.)**

"So," he breaths, "Where do we begin?"

We're sitting side by side on a park bench, alone, except for the little birds up the trees.

I shrug helplessly. "I don't know."

He inhales and leans back against the bench. "I was a jerk."

I keep quiet and continue to stare straight ahead.

"I was a jerk who did things that confused you, I know. I screwed up… acting all nice to you for a while and then just switch back to being a jerk. I took advantage of the fact that you were, however little, attracted to me."

"Not to mention that every time I try to get to know you, you just build your walls higher," I add after a while, not denying that I am, indeed, attracted to him.

He shakes his head, I think. "I can't help it. It's hard for me to bring my defenses down."

"I learned," I say. "I learned the hard way. You kept on going to me for comfort whenever something comes up. But then, you'll just want to forget it ever happened. You won't tell me things." My voice is soft, remembering. "One second you let your walls down and let me see through then the next, they're back up higher than before." I still hear the pain and I wonder if he does, too.

I continue on. "After our date, I thought we would get past all the bickering and fights. I expected you to open up to me. I thought I would get to know you better." _I believed in the stories I've read and shows I've watched._

"I became worse," he offers.

I shake my head slowly, feeling his eyes on me. "I was frustrated you know. Mostly because the more I fail to get past your walls, the more I got confused about how I feel for you."

He lets out a lifeless laugh. "Trust me. I was frustrated, too."

"The last time in the soiree… I was officially confused when you gave me the dress." A deep breath. "And when I saw you later, you cried and I comforted you." A pause. "Then you wanted me to forget that happened; that vulnerable and definitely real moment of yours."

Before he can open his mouth to apologize, I continue on. "It really hurt me, you know. I was trying hard to understand you. I felt remorse that I had judged you before. But then you made me feel… used." I make a little sniffing sound and I worry for a while that he might think I'm crying or what. "I felt like I was just a comfort person for you, someone to just wipe your tears or be there for you. And as much as I want to be that person, I also want you to open up to me."

And just like that, I'm back to that night again, when I finally let out my feelings to him and all he did was leave me.

"I confused you," he starts, turning to look at me. "What feelings have you actually harbored towards me?"

I also turn my head and our eyes meet, mine asking him why he wants me to tell the already obvious.

I don't say anything. It's too hard.

"Clary…" My heart skips a beat. My name still sounds foreign coming from his lips. However, there's a little part of me that wants to hear it more often from him.

I drop my eyes. "I like you." I whisper it but I know he hears the words.

_I like you. _I can't believe I just told him that. Up to now, I still can't believe I like Jace Herondale.

"You do?" He asks, as if me saying it once isn't confirmation enough.

"Yeah," I squeak out. "I like you and… care about you a lot."

"And I treated you like shit," he says.

I still refuse to meet his eyes. "Not really. There were times when you were nice. But yes, yes, you did do things that in some ways hurt me."

"If only we had more talks like this." There definitely is regret in his voice.

"If only," I sigh. "And now I'm supposed to still not want to talk to you but here I am, with you in a park in Brooklyn, telling you things I really shouldn't be telling you. I can't wait for this to come bite me back in the future." _Please, 2016. Be nice._

"Stop," he suddenly says, forcing me to look at him. "Don't blame yourself. Everything's my fault."

"How come?"

"I'm… You know I'm a playboy, right? So yeah. I thought it would be nice to try going for other types of girls… like you."

"I figured that's the reason why you suddenly got too involved in my life." I try to not let the sadness or bitterness from being heard in the sentence.

"Sorry." He says softly.

I shrug. "I'm also sorry, because as much as it's nice that we're finally talking, I can't easily forgive you like that."

To my surprise, he smiles. "I didn't want to talk to you just to get a quick forgiveness. I know I'll have to earn it."

I feel my eyes widen. "You mean?"

I notice his hand as it moves to hold mine but at the last second, he retracts it. "I mean, I meant it when I said I wanted to make it up to you for being a jerk, for confusing you, for trying to get you to like me just for fun. I'll try to open up to you, to let you in. I owe you that much since as you comforted me in times when I needed it the most."

I blink my eyes many times and even though I want to speak, I don't know what to say. Luckily, he doesn't give me the chance. "I'm really sorry. I've been thinking since the soiree and I realized I was a total asshole."

He inches closer to me and I don't know, but I don't move away. "Look, I care about you."

What? _I care about you_. What is he talking about? "Excuse me?"

He smiles a little, not helping in calming the rapid beating of my heart. "I care about you, no matter how much I deny it, it's there. And things are still a little fucked up with me but I know I care about you. All I'm asking is for you to give me a chance I may or may not deserve."

I really have to do something with my heart. Trying to distract myself, I look into his tawny eyes (a mistake) and try to search for truths and lies. He gives me the silence I need to be able to decide. To be honest, I really want to give him another chance. I know Mom and Simon will probably agree. But… "How do I know you're not going to go back to your playboy and nothing-bothers-me self?"

His silence continues and it's starting to unsettle me. "I can't?" I hesitantly ask. "Can I?"

He takes a deep breath. "I went to see my father the day after Christmas." He smiles at me.

I hope he doesn't notice that I'm surprised.

"Austin and Stella were really happy to see me." He hands me a paper from his pocket and I carefully open it to see a number scribbled. "My father gave this to me that day in the mall, so we can keep in touch. I never called him but I looked at it a lot of times." He looks at me again, and our eyes lock.

I see the sincerity and honesty in his eyes. "When I decided I should try to make things up to you, I decided to finally call him. You know why? Because weirdly enough, you're the only person I feel comfortable to talk about him to right now."

"Jace…" I murmur as I feel my eyes heat up. To say I'm touched by his confession is an understatement.

"Also, not to mention it's already starting to tear due to the countless times I've opened and closed it." He adds, smiling sheepishly, obviously trying to lighten up.

I playfully slap his arm. "I'm glad you finally called your dad."

"Does this mean –"

"I'm glad you told me about it," I interrupt, because I really am glad.

"–you're giving me the second chance?"

I nod slowly.

"Thank you," he says, relief and happiness evident in his voice. "I'm really sorry, and thank you."

"You really can't thank me yet until I've forgiven you."

"I know," he says. He smiles at me.

I wish everything that comes after today will be okay. I smile back at him.

He stands from the bench and extends an arm towards me. "So, I'll have to drive you home safely."

"Yes, you have," I reply, taking his arm and letting him help me stand up. He said he'll try so in return, I'll have to try to get to know him, too. I'll let him act nice and won't let my prejudgment cloud my thoughts.

Once I'm on my feet, he lets go of my hand and I get disappointed a little even though he did the gentlemanly thing to do. "Thank you," I murmur to him.

"Actually," he says, "I was hoping we can stop by to get a taste of some Brooklyn ice cream."

I can never say no that.

* * *

"Wow! Jace Herondale is courting you?"

"Shh…" I know my already blushing face reddens a little more. "And no, Simon, he's not courting me."

"But then, what's your relationship, the two of you?"

"Um, friends?"

"He knows you like him," he says.

"Yes, and?" 

"He said he cares for you. Doesn't that make you more than friends?"

Does it? "I don't know Si, but I'm fairly sure he only wants forgiveness and friendship. And besides, it's just a crush."

He laughs a little. "Oh, Clary, some of the best love stories began with 'It's just a crush'".

I roll my eyes. "Example?"

He's silent for a while. "I'll get back to you on that. Anyways, I'm excited to see what happens between you two."

I smile. "Whatever you're imagining, we're just and will remain friends."

"Clary, stop fooling yourself. I know you're hoping both of you will transcend that line."

I shake my head. "Si, stop speaking for me."

"Don't worry, I'll pray that you won't get stuck in the friendzone."

"You're crazy."

"Do you know the term 'shipping'? I ship you with Jace Herondale!"

I know the term and I don't know why but my blush returns when he said that. "Whatever. I told you, it's just a crush. And he caring for me doesn't really mean it'll turn into something romantic. And besides, we're still young, in case you forgot."

"It would be a nice story to tell your grandkids someday, you starting out as high school sweethearts."

"Have I told you already? You're crazy, Simon Lewis."

"Ouch," he says. "You including my last name kind of makes me think you really mean it."

I laugh. "We've been on the phone for long."

"Yeah. Gotta hang up now. Good night, Clary."

"Good night, Simon."

I look at my phone and smile.

Lord, thank you for this day.

-**End of Chapter- **

**(For real)**

* * *

Uh-oh. Jace, are you sure you didn't forget to mention something?

There, I hope you liked it! It's the last day of May and I'm so glad I was able to finish this chapter before June! :)

I'm so excited for the next chapters to come! And I'm so happy that my semester has finally ended! Hello, vacation, here I come! :)

Review, share, and review some more, okay? :D

I love you all!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | May 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	25. Chapter 24

**Author's Note**

I've been finished with this for quite some time but for some unknown reason, the site won't let me update, until now. So… I'm very sorry if this update came late! I swear, it killed me not being able to post a new chapter when I already finished it :(

So… Jace and Clary hit a restart button on their acquaintance. This said, this story may be changing paths! Hahahaha. Kidding (half-kidding!). To be honest, I'm still torn on how to continue this since I have so many things planned that don't really match

Also, THANK YOU! Thanks for the reviews, favorites, follows, and most importantly – patience. I love you all! You're all the reason why I'm still writing this story. I hope we'll reach to its end ;)

Anyway, here's Chapter 24! Enjoy!

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 24: Opening books**_

**-JACE-**

"You're an idiot.

"Stupid.

"Bastard."

He opens his mouth but before a sound can escape, I lean towards him and hiss, "I swear, if your siblings aren't here, I would've beaten you into a bloody pulp right now."

He only rolls his eyes. "You know I'm right."

I lean back into the chair. "They sound better hearing from me."

"You're really an idiot, stupid, bastard," he whispers.

I glare at him. "I hope you're proud whispering those things to me while your siblings are only a few feet away, _Mark_."

He gives me the finger.

"That, too."

"Whatever," he sighs after glancing at his siblings, who are currently watching a TV show. "Let's talk about you."

I groan. "I hate myself."

"Well-deserved."

"I hate you, too."

He combs his light hair with his fingers. "You know when you told me you care about her, I wasn't surprised at all."

"Huh?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I saw it coming."

"And?"

"What actually surprised me is the fact that you want to try to work things out."

"I have to earn her forgiveness," I explain.

"That's the point. You've never done that before. You play a girl and in some ways you care for her but when the game's over and she's hurt, that's the end. You've never tried to get a girl to forgive you."

I want to tell him that I care for Clary in a different way. I want to tell him that I think this time, it's different. But how will he understand? He's also a player like me and he can't even be man enough to confess to Izzy. "You're not helping."

"Man, we're still young and it's too early for you to quit being a playboy. We haven't experienced what it's like in college and especially in the real world!"

I give him an incredulous look.

"I seriously am not helping, am I?"

I nod.

"Okay, so speak. Why didn't you tell her about the bet?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

"Did you or did you not tell her on purpose?"

"I don't know."

"Dude, we're not in a crime show."

"I know." He gives me a pointed look. "Fine, I didn't tell her because I didn't know how to tell her."

He smirks. "You mean you didn't tell her because you're a coward?"

"Careful," I hiss and close my eyes briefly. "Look, I was trying to ask for a second chance, okay? And I didn't know how to tell her without her getting madder at me. If I told her I approached her because of a bet, do you think she'll believe my apologies?"

"I don't know," M replies. "And we'll probably never know since as you didn't try."

"I'm an idiot."

"Yes, you are."

After a while, he asks. "Are you at least planning to tell her?"

"Yes," I sigh. "She should know. Just not now." I give him a knowing look. "She should know _from me_."

"Won't that hurt her all over again?" He asks. "And besides, trust me, I don't wish to be the one to tell her that hard truth."

"It won't if I tell her at the right place and time, by the right way."

He stands up and pats my shoulder as he walks past me, heading to his siblings. "Good luck, Jace."

Yeah, good luck to me.

* * *

"Alas, the holidays have gone by quickly," Grandma says as we watch the helper wheel out her luggage out of the house.

"We can't control time," I say just so I can say something.

She makes a move of looking around. "Where's your mother? She couldn't even bother to say goodbye to me?"

I ignore the distaste in her voice. "She said she's busy with something she can't miss or reschedule."

"Excuses," Grandma says and even though I think the same, I don't say anything.

Instead, I make my way out the door. "We'll have to go, Grandma, you can't miss your flight."

She lets out a huff. "You can at least pretend you're not that eager to send me home."

I climb into the driver's seat and wait for her, quickly debating whether or not I should text Mom so she can make a miraculous appearance at the airport, just so Grandma can't say anything about her before she leaves. The car door opens and Grandma situates herself in a comfortable position. I put my phone on the dashboard. Mom will probably not go even if she can.

As I start to drive, I say, "Why do you have to go back early? You usually stay for three to five more days."

"I usually have a good time here but this year it's just… good gracious, your mother was just hard to deal with."

"I live with her," I say, suddenly in defensive mode. "We are all right."

She tsks. "You're her son, of course she treats you differently than me."

I suppress a groan. She said it herself. How can she expect Mom to be extra nice to her when she's the mother of the man who left her for another woman? The mother who didn't even once – in my knowledge – apologize for what her son did? In fact, I've had this long suspicion that she even _blamed_ my mother why my dad left us.

"Can we talk about something else, please?" I can't handle getting into an argument with her right now.

"Gladly," Grandma replies. "Don't miss me too much, okay?"

"I'll try," I reply.

She claps her hands, once. "I mean it. And if by luck, we'll see each other again in seven months when you go to Singapore for college."

I keep my eyes straight on the road as I frown. I'm still really annoyed about her processing my application to NUS even though she knows I have no interest in studying there. "Maybe. Still, I'll try not to miss you."

"You're annoyed at me."

I don't reply. I don't want to confirm what she says but I also don't want to lie and tell her she's wrong.

"I'm going to miss you, Jace," she says softly. A short silence follows. "I hope you understand why I like being involved too much in your life. You're my only grandson. My stupid son didn't even care to have many children with Celine before he ran away with that woman. I see the way you treat your friend's brothers and sisters. Oh, imagine if you have twin siblings like Livia and Tiberius." Her voice is partly bitter, partly dreamy.

My thoughts wander off towards the day after Christmas, when I met with my father and siblings. A small pang starts in my chest, thinking of how I had tried so hard to be a brother to Austin and Stella, and then how I effortlessly care for M's siblings.

I shake my head to clear the thoughts away. "Maybe it's time you contact him?"

"No," my grandmother's voice hardens. "I told him before. It's either he comes begging for me to take him back, or he'll remain a stranger to me and the rest of the Herondale family."

I close my eyes, feeling bad not for my father, but for my siblings. "He's still your son." Just as he's still my father and I badly want to tell her right now that it's not yet late to fix things with him, just like how I'm trying to rebuild a relationship with him.

In response, Grandma reaches over to the radio and turns it on. She lets one full song to finish before she speaks. "I don't want to talk about him, either."

Maybe it's part of my nonexistent New Year's resolution, but I don't let Grandma be the driver of our conversation. "But don't you ever wonder how he is right now?"

"Have you?" She shoots back.

"He's my father."

"Who was never there for you," she replies, every word cold as ice.

My eyes remain on the road. "If my eight year-old self's memory serves me right, he's a very good father to me."

"But he left you and your mother," Grandma chides. "For another woman." It's like she's not speaking about her own son. She really did disown him when he left.

I feel little shots of pain up my knuckles and it's when I notice that I've been gripping the steering wheel too tight. I take a deep breath. "That doesn't change the fact that I won't be alive right now if it weren't for him."

Grandma scoffs. "You really think that's what makes someone a father? Jace, you of all people should know that my son was terrible at being a father! If he's a good one, then he should've not left you and your mother for that low-class woman! He should've not stopped raising you 'til you're eight. He should've been there for you in your adolescence; he should be here right now, when you're entering adulthood! But no, he chose someone over you!"

Great. Just great. We're near the airport and here she is, mad at me. I don't speak for some minutes and neither does Grandma, though she increases the volume of the radio.

We arrive at the airport and before I unlock the doors, I hold my grandmother's hands. She looks at me with those inquisitive eyes of hers. "Look, Grandma," I start. "I'm sorry I ruined your last hour here, talking about Dad. It's just… I think we shouldn't be too hard on others. I think people deserve second chances because we all make mistakes sometimes. I think we all deserve a shot at making things better, at correcting our wrongs. And… I can never truly know how much Dad hurt you when he left but… don't you think you both deserve a second chance? After all, he's your only son and you, his mother."

Grandma is looking at me as if it's the first time she has ever seen me. I can't blame her. I think this is the first time I'm able to say something like that. "'Dad'", she repeats slowly, her eyes questioning me. She definitely did not miss the fondness with which I said the word. Her eyes widen. "You've been seeing Stephen, haven't you?"

I nod a little. I watch as confusion replaces the surprise on her face, followed by anger, and then settles into an unreadable one. "How?"

I glance at the clock. "Long story. Are you willing to miss your flight just to hear it?"

Unfortunately, her face hardens. "I'm not."

"Grandma…"

She gently uncovers my hands around hers and then unbuckles her seatbelt. "Come, Jace. Help me with my luggage."

"But Grandma…" I run out of words. What am I supposed to say? I can't force her to stay, to listen, can I?

Left with no choice, I exit the car and go to the trunk, helping my grandmother with her luggage. Neither of us speaks as we enter the airport.

"Jace," she turns to me before I go. "Thank you for bringing me here."

I nod. "Thanks for being with us through the holidays."

She fishes something out of her handbag. "Here," she hands me an envelope. "Advance Happy Birthday." When she sees my raised eyebrows, she adds, "Two tickets to _Les Miserables_."

I frown. "You know Mom doesn't watch musicals."

"Well, the other ticket's not for your mom. Watch it with someone else." Her smile changes. "Watch it with a girl."

I shake my head. "Thanks for this, Grandma."

"Come here," she says and I go and let her hug me. "Can you promise me one thing?" She whispers.

"Yeah?"

"Introduce a girl to me the next time we meet."

I chuckle. "I'm sorry, but I don't like making promises I can't keep."

We part, smiling at each other, as if some minutes ago, we were not in the brink of an argument. "Have a safe trip," I say.

She nods at me. "Thank you, Jace."

I watch her go through security before I turn and leave.

_Second chances_. I made a little speech about second chances a while ago but who am I kidding? I know I already screwed the second chance Clary gave me. I didn't tell her about the fucking bet. I didn't tell her that I may or may not be starting to like her, though that could be excused since I'm still confused about that. But the bet…

Why the fuck did I not have the guts to tell her that?

My phone beeps but I keep on driving. It beeps a second time but still, I ignore it. I'm driving, whoever texted can wait.

He can't. My phone starts to ring and I pull over to the nearest spot available during the fourth ring. Without looking at the caller ID, I answer. "Hello?"

"You finally picked up," Alec's voice answers.

I sigh. "You really have a habit of not telling me when you're back?"

He also sighs at the other end. "That's why I texted and am calling you."

"Okay. So when can I get the stuff you bought for me?"

He ignores my question. "Are you free tonight? Can I come over your house?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, see you." Alec hangs up.

I look at my phone before returning it to the console.

Alec's promised talk with me will probably happen tonight. I have to prepare.

* * *

"You look distressed." It's probably not the first thing Alec wants to hear from me for our first meeting since they left.

"I know," he replies with a sigh. "How was your holidays?"

"Fine, I guess," I shrug. "Nothing extraordinary." I still can't tell Alec about meeting my father.

"Mine sucked," he says, shaking his head. "I'm screwed Jace."

"Okay, let's forget about how-are-you's and such. What's the matter?"

Alec looks at me before he shakes head. "Izzy's locked herself in her bedroom."

I raise a brow. "Since when?"

"Since we arrived." A shake of his head. "No, she also did that a few days before we left Iceland."

"And the reason?"

He looks at me, his blue eyes dark with worry and sadness I hadn't noticed before. He exhales. "Remember when we went dress shopping and I received a call?"

"Yeah?" I didn't forget about it and I've been waiting for him to tell me, if he ever planned to. Looks like tonight, he has finally decided.

"It's from Mom," he says. "She was checking on me, asking if I had done what she asked me to do."

"And that is?"

"Tell Isabelle the news – that she and Dad are getting a divorce."

Of course, I'm surprised. It's really news – I never saw it coming. Maryse and Robert Lightwood seemed like a very happy couple. But then again, so did Mom and Dad.

Alec sighs. "I'm sorry I never told you. I never told my sister, too. They went out of the country in hopes that vacation can save their marriage. Well, as you see, it didn't work. And they're too much of cowards to tell Isabelle, much less go back here until she knows. That's why they saw my scheduled return as opportunity. Why not let their son be the one to break the news to their daughter, right?"

I tsk. "I don't even know what to say."

Alec smiles a little. "I never let them get away with it, Jace. I never told Izzy. In the end, they had to be the one to tell her right after New Year's Eve. Can you believe that?"

"Alec…"

"That explains why my holiday sucked."

"Alec, I forgive you for not telling me. But why?" I can't believe it. All this time… "You acted all happy since you returned. You mean all this time, you were hiding something like that?

He shrugs. "I did not want to spread bad vibes. Besides, we all carry something inside of us, don't we? We're all half-open books and whoever sees the hidden parts is all up to us."

I want to blame myself for not noticing before but I cannot. Alec's really, really good at keeping things to himself. Instead, I let him open his closed parts to me. "When do you think Izzy will be alright?"

He shakes his head, the worry darkening his eyes more. "That's what I don't know. She has never been like this since Max died and… it's not even two years yet. I have no idea how to help her through these hard times. It's not helping that our parents chose not to come home with us. At least, Dad did. He flew to England. Mom came back with us but she chose to stay at a hotel."

_Max_. Had he lived, he would be turning eleven this year, same as Ty and Livvy, who are only a few months older than him. I glance at Alec and see the devastated look on his face. A thought suddenly passes me… is it possible that Max's death has something to do with the divorce? However, I can't bring myself to ask. Instead, I say, "Just let her know she's not alone and you're here if she needs someone."

"She hates me. She refuses to talk to me."

Oh, Izzy. "Because you didn't tell her?"

Alec nods grimly. "Though I told her why I didn't. I'm only hoping she'll understand soon."

"She will," I assure him. "Trust me, she will."

"You know classes are resuming soon."

"And you know Izzy values her grades, if not learning, too. We both know she'll find a way to get herself in a state where she can go to school."

He shoots me a grateful smile. "Thanks, man. You're really… I really needed this talk. I don't even… I don't even know how you went through with this when, you know, your parents divorced."

And just like that, a door opened. Maybe I can tell Alec about my dad. "You know, I've been debating with myself whether to tell you something. Just now, the side that wants me to tell you won."

Alec straightens in attention. "What is it, Jace? You know you can trust me with anything."

"I went on a date with Clary sometime early December last year, have I told you that?"

He shakes his head no.

"Okay, I went on a date with her. Well, we met some people coincidentally in the mall…" I look at him and see him watching me intently. "We saw my dad and his second family."

I watch and wait for his reaction. It's a mixture of surprise, pity, and gladness; surprise the most prominent of all. "Did they see you?"

I nod. "Dad was the one to approach first. The moment he spoke, I knew it was him. I knew his voice by heart. I was young when he left, but you never really forget your happiest memories. And besides, you know I tried calling him with my nannies' phones and all I would hear was his voicemail. So when I heard him call my name that day, I knew it was him and I didn't know what to do.

"I could have just pretended not to hear him and probably never see him again but… the child in me really wanted to see him again. So, yeah. I responded and we ended up having a meal together. He introduced me to his family – his wife, my brother and sister – and me to them. Since Clary was with me, I introduced her to him, too. After that, he gave me a number so I can call him if I wanted to. I never called him until recently."

"You're saying you're meeting with your father, after all these years?"

I nod.

"Does your mom know? Your grandma?"

"I can't tell Mom, at least for now. I told Grandma this morning while driving her to the airport."

With concern, Alec asks, "How did she take it?"

"To be honest, I can't tell. But I think she's leaning more on the side that she doesn't approve."

"But you're still going to keep meeting him?"

I nod again. "I… want to get to know my siblings. My father, too. Maybe even his wife, Amatis."

Alec pats me once and smiles. "I'm so glad for you, Jace."

Looking at Alec, I see how tired he is – the bags under his eyes, the way his shoulders are low, he can't even have his hair cut and it's falling over his eyes. "You should rest."

He surprises me when he shakes his head no. "Didn't I tell you we're going to have a talk when I come back?"

"Oh." I fake a gasp. "That wasn't the talk?" Of course Alec knows I know it wasn't. He also knows I only said it to brighten the mood.

He gives me an appreciative smile. "You're not getting away from it, Jace."

I slump lower on my chair. "You sure you don't want me to sneak one of Mom's wine bottles?"

"No," he says. "But I'm sure I'd like us to talk now, no more excuses, no more stalling."

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

He takes a deep breath before he begins. "You remember when Izzy sent you to find out this one girl she thought I was dating?"

"Yeah."

"It's Clary."

I instantly look at him and I suddenly feel threatened, which is ridiculous. I'm surprised, but I guess I should have known before. Who else does he spend all his time in the school but her? "You're dating?"

He shakes his head no. The sudden threat I felt gets replaced by relief. "Do you want to? I mean, date her?"

He answers with an enigmatic smile. "I care about her."

_I care about her, too_. I keep the thought to myself. "And…?"

Alec fixes me with his blue stare. "I saw you two hugging, that night." He waits for me to speak but I don't. "I wanted to respect your privacy so I went to our table to just wait for her. But when she returned, her eyes were puffy and red and she was obviously crying. She claimed her purse and was about to leave but I insisted on bringing her home.

"She cried in my car. I didn't plan to ask her but she told me why anyway." He briefly closes his eyes. "Jace, I know that you play girls. I let you, because it's what you are – a player. I let you because you're my best friend and I know you'll mature soon and change." He shakes his head in disappointment. "But this? _Clary? _You know she's different from the usual girls. You know she's gonna get hurt at some point."

I'm frozen on my seat. Alec is disappointed on me, as if I don't feel like shit enough right now. "I want to say I wasn't planning on playing her but you're gonna kill me."

"Why?" he asks. "Why her? Were you so in love with challenges that you thought you'd try the unique girl?"

A frown carves its way on my forehead. "Hey. It's not my entire fault. At some point, you must have figured it out. You did nothing to save her from me."

"I asked her to the soiree."

"That's bullshit, Alec!" I suddenly feel anger rise from deep within me. Because thinking back to it now, Alec _could have_ saved her from getting hurt by the bet. "You could have reminded her that I'm a player! You could have done something. And now you're talking to me, as if I'm the only bad person here?"

Alec glares at me. "How could I do that when it's obvious that – " He cuts himself short but I already know what he's about to say.

"It's obvious that, what?" I still ask him, though. Just like how I asked Clary, harsh as it may have been. But I need to hear it. I need to hear it once more. I need to know I'm doing the right thing, no matter how messed up things already are.

"It's not my place to say."

"She likes me." It's not a question.

His lack of denial is enough. We keep quiet for a few minutes, both of us trying to calm ourselves.

After sometime, I speak again and my voice is calm. "So you wanted to talk to me about her?"

Alec nods slowly. "Look, Jace. I care about her and I hate it that you… made her cry. I rarely ask for favors but just this once, please let me."

"What favor do you want?"

"Leave her. Or at least talk to her. Just… anything to help her feel better." His voice is full of caring, one reserved for his family. He really must care about her a lot.

I smirk, getting his attention. "We already talked."

His eyes widen. "You did? And then what?"

For reasons, I refuse to meet his eyes. "I apologized and asked for a second chance. I'll try to make it up to her to earn her forgiveness."

When I look at him, he's staring at me suspiciously. "You do that? I think that's a first."

"I care about her." The words are out of my mouth before I can even think of them, surprising us both.

Alec's shaking his head so fast. "No, Jace. Don't."

"You don't understand, Alec," I say hardly, a tad bit offended that he doesn't believe me. But then again, can I blame him? "I could just leave her alone hating me, another addition to the girls I played. But something in me held me back. And I know I don't want us to just end like that because _I care for her_. I'll use this second chance to make it up to her."

"Then what? Ask her to go out with you?"

"I don't know."

"She knows everything? That you were trying to play her?"

"Yes." _NO_. The bet. The bet. The fucking bet.

Alec sighs and I can't figure out if it's for relief or tiredness. "Thank you, Jace, for the time."

"I'll always have time for you, man."

He gives me a small smile. "Good luck with your second chance."

Another 'good luck', another reminder of my fucking mistake.

Stupid bet.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

It's really time for Jace to lower his walls. Sorry for not putting any Clace moments! I'll make up next chapter, I swear.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this! Please let me know what you think by reviewing or messaging me! Thanks! :)

I love you all.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | June 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	26. Chapter 25

**Author's Note**

Hurray for me for finishing this chapter early! Yay for you for not having to wait an entire week to read a new update!

I love you all my readers that's why I'm doing my best to keep on writing this story so I can update as soon as possible.

As usual, thank you for the reviews and support. It really means much to me knowing that people like my story. I hope we'll see the end of this story, as well as the start of new ones ;)

Here's Chapter 25! I enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you will enjoy reading this! :)

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 25: Drives**_

**-JACE-**

"Who are you?" Clary's brother looks so different now that he's awake, his dark eyes boring into me. When I don't reply, he asks again, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

I clear my throat. "I'm Clary's friend. I'm here to pick her up for school."

His brows knot together. "She didn't tell me she has a ride."

Before I can tell him that I actually did not tell Clary, she appears behind him. "Jace?" Her eyes wide and voice surprised. "What are you doing here?"

I smile. "I'm here to give you a ride to school."

"But…" she glances at her brother, who only raises an eyebrow. "Oh," she says. "Jonathan, this is Jace, a… friend of mine."

I reach out a hand through my open window. "Pleased to meet you, Jonathan."

He hesitantly shakes my hand. "So… you're friends?"

I hear the suspicion in his voice but I ignore it and nod. A few seconds pass without any of us speaking. Finally, Jonathan says, "Clary, don't keep your friend waiting. Go on and get in his car."

She looks at him, probably surprised. "But… will it be okay?"

He nods. "I'll tell Dad. Besides, the community college is not really near your school, it'll save time and gas for Dad's car." She opens her mouth but he shushes her, smiling tenderly. "Go, Clary."

They stare at each other for quite some time before she finally nods and gives him a quick hug, then goes to my car.

I nod to him as I start the car and drive away from their house. "Good morning."

"Um… good morning?"

I smile. "You're so cute." I sneak a glance at her and see her face flush.

"Why?" She asks. "Why give me a ride?"

That's also what I want to ask myself. "Actually, I don't have any idea on how to make it up to you. I can't just randomly blurt out things about me, right?"

"You can try by being a good friend to me."

"Well, this is me trying."

I feel her eyes on me. "Thanks?"

I shortly turn to flash her a grin, making her avoid my eyes. "You're welcome."

"You can also… you know, try by starting conversations where we can get to know each other more."

It's already on my list. "Okay." We don't speak for a while as I drive, humming to the music playing on the radio she asked to turn on.

When we arrive at the school's parking space, she turns to me. "Look, Jace. I appreciate you giving me a ride today. But you should have told me in advance that you were going to pick me up, not just appearing by our house unannounced."

"I planned to," I explain. "But I didn't have any means to contact you." I offer my hand, palm up. "Give me your phone."

She hesitates before she fishes it out of her bag and hands it to me. I quickly type my number. And when I'm smiling at the camera, she tries to snatch it from me but I stop her. I save my contact.

She locks her phone without looking at it and returns it to her bag. "Is your picture really necessary?"

"Yes," I smile. "Here, save your number in mine, too."

Her fingers graze my hand as she gets my phone and I feel a sudden urge to trap her fingers in mine. "Better take a good selfie, okay?"

Her red curls shake in the air. "No way."

"Aw, come on."

"Nope." She hands me back my phone and after I put it inside my pocket and we don't make any move to leave the car, she squirms then says, "You can't… you can't always drive me to school."

"Why?" _I want to_.

"Um, we're just… friends." Why do I suddenly feel like I've been slapped in the face? "And besides, it will be too troublesome for you."

"Will Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays work?"

She purses her lips. "How about Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

I raise a brow. "Wait. You mean it's really okay for you to have me pick you up for school two times a week?"

Her cheeks flush a faint pink. "If it's okay for you."

"It's a deal then, sweetheart."

Her eyes suddenly fly to me with a glare. "Can you try to stop calling me with endearments?"

I groan. "That'll be really hard."

A smile suddenly curves on her lips. "I like that." Then she opens the door and gets out of my car. I missed this side of her – the fierceness she had when we first met. I follow her as she starts for the main building. I notice she blushes a little when I walk beside her but I don't tease her about it.

"See you around, Clary," I say as we part ways.

She nods and continues to walk but at the last second, she looks back and says. "Jace? Thank you for the ride."

I return her genuine smile.

* * *

"Seelie and I broke up." Sebastian says it so casually like it's no big deal. He stretches his legs as we watch our teammates play.

M asks the question we're all thinking: "So who dumped who?"

With no beat, he replies, "I dumped her."

"Why?" August asks next. It's not like we're surprised or sad about the break-up. We all saw it coming. We just need to know the details of how Seb's eyes finally opened to the truth about that bitch Seelie.

"We had a small fight about me not being able to attend a New Year's party with her and somehow it got bigger and led to… I don't know. I guess I ran out of patience with her. Besides, I think she's been looking for something for us to fight about for some time now. Anyways, I have no regrets." He shoots me a look. "Sorry, man."

I shrug like it's nothing but I actually am glad he's finally rid of that girl.

"And that's why there's a rule of never dating your friend's ex." M says, causing a laugh from August.

"Shut up," Seb says but starts to laugh too. "On the other hand, the good news is I'm free again."

"So," M starts excitingly. "Do you see any potential healers of your 'broken heart'?"

Seb shakes his head. "No."

August pats him on the shoulder. "Don't worry man, we'll help you scout."

They continue to talk but I'm no longer paying attention. My eyes are fixed across the field, to a particular bench where a familiar figure is. She looks so lost in her own little world as her hands expertly guide a pencil on a pad. For a moment, she reminds me of how Lily looks when she plays the piano. I can see the passion Clary has for her art.

"Jace," Seb nudges me. "Are you even with us?"

"Huh?"

"We asked if you'd join us tomorrow in the bar after practice."

"I'll pass," I say as I look away from her. "Next time, I promise."

They give me a curious look but let me off anyway.

When M and August leaves for some laps, Seb says, "So we're free." He gives me a side-glance. "Aren't we?"

I nod to him. "Back to before."

"I can't believe we gave up on the bet." He laughs heartlessly. I still don't understand why he wanted the bet to be over and I want to know.

"It's a stupid bet, anyways."

He looks at me then. "What do you think makes it stupid? The girl?"

"No!" I catch myself before I do something I'll regret. "Just… I think the idea of a bet. That's what stupid."

He just raises an eyebrow.

I let out a sigh. "Look, don't you think it's horrible? I know it happens in movies and books and it's fun but…" I shake my head. "We made it a tradition for Isabelle's birthday parties. I mean, how bad is that?"

Seb also shakes his head. "Jace, I get what you're saying but you honestly don't sound like yourself right now."

"I've not been feeling like myself these days, I swear."

"What's the problem?" he asks, now slightly concerned.

My only response is the shake of my head.

He studies me for a while before he stands up to finally join M and August. "Fine, but know that I'll be here if you need someone to talk to, man-to-man."

"Yeah," I reply. "Same here." I also leave the bench and the both of us jog towards our friends.

* * *

"Bye guys!" I'm practically almost running as I race to the parking lot to my car and start it as soon as I can.

Luckily, when I reach the gates, I see her right away. I pull up near her. "Hey," I say. "Hop in."

She jumps a little in surprise then turns to me, her head tilted sideways, something I noticed she does when she's thinking. It adds to her cuteness. "It's not a Tuesday or Thursday?"

The smirk automatically comes to my lips. "The deal does not take effect until tomorrow."

"But…"

I gesture for her to come closer and in a low voice, I say, "Look, honey, people are watching. Are you seriously going to reject me in front of everyone?"

She glances to her left and right, rolls her eyes, but gets in anyway. When I start to drive away, she says, "For someone who was given a second by me, you could at least try to care less about your ego around me."

I know she said it like a joke but I feel the weight of her words anyway. I'm reminded that I hurt her and right now I'm acting like I did with her before – pushy and to be honest, quite manipulative.

She groans softly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"It's okay," I say.

"No," she insists. "Look, I don't want you to change yourself just for me or my forgiveness. You can still be that arrogant, sometimes nice, sarcastic you before. All I'm asking is you let me get to know you more."

I pull over to the nearest stop. "Wait, did you seriously just call me arrogant?" She shrugs and gives me a look that says 'duh'. "It's _that_ serious?"

"To someone who's been around nice people all her life, maybe?" She bites her bottom lip. "I'm sorry if that made you feel bad."

"Biting your lip is bad, stop that. And quit saying sorry, it's annoying."

Her teeth release her bottom lip and she smiles widely. "There you are."

I'm confused for a while before I realize what I had said. I can't help but smile along with her, too. "So, are you free tomorrow after school?"

"Um… it depends on why you're asking."

"I said I'm gonna try to open up to you, right? So, what's an hour or two of talking after school once a week sounds like?"

She takes a quick breath. "Jace…"

"I don't want to waste this chance, Clary."

Upon hearing her name, she looks away but not quick enough for me to miss the small tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Okay."

"Good." I wait for her to turn her eyes back to me but she doesn't. I'm about to start the car again when an idea pops in my head. I bring out my phone. "Hey," I call and as she turns her head to me, I click.

She blinks once, twice, before she realizes what I had done. "Hey!" she shouts as she tries to grab it but fails. "Delete that."

"No way." I look at it and see her photo – a cute redhead with a curious look on her face. I show it to her. "Now your contact will have a picture."

She looks down. "Don't make fun of me."

Shit. "Hey, sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of you." I hand her my phone. "Feel free to delete it now." When she doesn't take it, I delete the picture myself then show her my phone. "There, it's deleted." She only glances for a few seconds before she stares ahead.

I sigh as I start the car again. Day one and I already messed up. We go for some more minutes before I speak again. "I didn't know you're uncomfortable with me taking your picture. I'm sorry."

"You…" she starts then sighs. "I…" a shake of her head. "We should have conversations with less 'sorry's in them."

I glance at her. "Yes."

Silence once again settles over us. I can't stand it, not yet. "So, how's your brother?"

"He's all right, I guess. It's almost as if he never got into an accident."

I try to remember him from this morning. "He seems like a nice person."

"He is," she says. "He loves teasing me but I guess that's what all brothers do." I feel her eyes on me and I know she's thinking of Austin and Stella. She clears her throat. "What most brothers do, I mean."

"And how do sisters react?" I look briefly at her. "Enlighten me please."

"Well, there are two types. First, there's the sister who puts up with what her brothers do and just, you know, maybe practice being patient with her possible children in the future or second, there's the sister who retaliates."

"Let me guess, you're the first one?"

"I'd like to say I'm a mix of both." Even though I don't look at her, I hear her smile.

We're in her neighborhood now and I reduce my speed just a little bit. "Stella's definitely the second."

"Really?" I sense the excitement in her voice, and… happiness?

I shake my head. "Nah, not really. She's only the second towards Austin, and then switches to the first when it comes to me."

She giggles. "That's unfair to Austin."

"What can I do?"

More giggles. "So do you like teasing your sister?"

I sigh. "We're really not that close yet. I was just… I don't know, guessing." I sneak a glance at her and see she's thinking. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm just thinking that I guess you're right. I remember when we were in Sbarro's and Stella called you her nicer brother. And it's obvious she and Austin often get in sibling fights."

The car stops. "We're here." I turn to her. "Maybe you're right. Wow, I'm so good at guessing."

Now that we're face to face, I get to see the smile that adorns her face. "No, Jace, it's not luck in guessing. You're just starting to get to know your siblings more. That's a good thing."

With her smiling encouragingly like that at me, I can't help but to return it. I smile back. "Thank you, Clary."

"Thanks for the ride home." She opens the door and scrambles out. Leaning towards the window, she says, "Have a safe drive home."

"Yeah." I smirk. "Have a safe ten-step walk home."

Her laughter stays with me even when I'm already out their neighborhood.

* * *

The convenience store near our house is surprisingly not crowded this time. I walk around looking at stuff. I'm not sure why I brought myself here and now I'm clueless as to what to buy.

I turn towards the second isle and I see them, making me halt. Now that I look at her, I do see that she's more vibrant, full of life. I've never seen Lily this happy. Her boyfriend has an arm around her shoulder while she has a hand around his waist. Having picked their bag of chips, they continue to walk, leaving my line of sight.

I should leave, I know. But the last time I saw Lily was at the soiree and though I'm moving on from her, my eyes are still craving to see her, my ears wanting to hear her again. I need to get her out of my system, yet…

I take a deep breath and quietly walk to the direction they went to. Once I spot them, I notice they're picking… I look away. I can't. Just the thought of them that way… I hear the guy teasing her to choose and before I can hear more, I walk away. I'm more disgusted than hurt just imagining Lily and that guy having sex.

_They're boyfriend-girlfriend, _the sensible part of me whispers. The same sensible part that keeps telling me I should stop caring.

I walk out the store without looking back.

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be at soccer practice?" she asks as she sits down on my car's shotgun seat, carefully placing her bag on her lap before she pulls the door close.

"I'm skipping." I smirk, turning to her. "Hey, do I have to tell you every time to put your bag beside you or on the floor? I don't want you feeling uncomfortable."

She complies without a word. "Is it okay for you to miss it?"

"Of course, I'm the MVP."

"Which means you should not miss practice." I don't know but I like the concern in her voice.

"It also means I'm the best player." I look at her, holding up my hands. "I'm not being arrogant, I'm just stating a fact."

She almost smiles. "But Jace… it slipped my mind yesterday when you asked me about today. If I had known, I would have refused."

"Refused?"

"I mean asked us to meet on a day where you won't have to miss anything."

I smile, though I don't know what I'm smiling about. "Okay. We'll reschedule. Next time." She opens her mouth to argue but I don't miss a beat. "We really can't miss our plans for today. And if we don't go now, we'll be late." I give her the best pleading look I can muster.

Finally, she sighs and relaxes on the seat. "This better be worth it."

We're silent the entire drive. Every once in a while, I sneak a glance at her only to see her looking out the window. She's probably deep in her thoughts. I want to know what she's thinking but then again, I can't just ask her to share her thoughts to me since I never really offered her pieces of my mind before.

_Before_, I remind myself.

She turns to me once she realizes I've parked the car. "We're here?" She briefly looks at the façade of the place then back to me. "An ice cream parlor?"

I nod, then, "Actually, Clary, we're not alone today."

"Huh?"

"We're gonna have company."

She's shaking her head now, one hand poised to open the door. "I… Jace… Who? I'm not…"

"Relax," I say, reaching out a hand to calm her but at the last second, I pull it back and instead just look at her eye-to-eye. "Hey, just trust me okay?"

She hesitates for a long time and just when I think she's going to say no and leave, she nods her head slowly. "Okay."

I nod and get my keys before getting out of the car. "Let's go?" I ask her as she shuts the door and I click the button in my keys to lock them.

I lead the way inside and look around the booths and table. Then I hear her. "Jaaaaaace!" Her bubbly voice becomes louder as she appears, her pigtails flying behind her. She stops in front of me, grinning widely. I crouch down in front of her, wiping the chocolate on the side of her lips. "Hello!"

"Hey." She's still grinning as she holds out her hand. I take it and stand up. I look at Clary, raising an eyebrow if she's okay with this. She only nods. "Stella, this is my friend, Clary. Do you remember her?"

Stella stares at Clary then nods her head slowly. "I think so." She tugs at my hand. "Let's go, Papa and Otin are waiting."

"How about we order ice cream first? Do you want another bowl?" The offer is out before I know it and there's no taking it back. I only hope Dad won't get mad at me for buying her another serving.

Her blonde hair, so similar in color with mine, bobs as she nods enthusiastically. "Yay!"

After we make our order, Stella runs off towards our booth. I turn to Clary who's walking beside me. "Hey, I'm sorry if I didn't tell you beforehand. I just wanted to surprise you."

She's smiling at me. "This is a very pleasant surprise, Jace."

I sigh in relief. "Come on."

"Hi, Jace!" Austin greets happily when we arrive at the booth.

"Hey, buddy." I ruffle his hair. To Dad, I nod in greeting. "You remember, Clary?"

"Yes." He smiles at her. "It's good to see you again."

She returns his smile as we both make ourselves comfortable as we sit across them. "Likewise, Mr. Herondale."

He shakes his head. "Just call me Stephen."

She shoots me a quick look then nods. "Okay, Stephen."

We talk about mundane things – school, the latest show Stella watched, Austin's first Taekwondo session – as if we've been doing this for a long time. It turns out Clary being here doesn't make things uncomfortable; in fact, she blends in as if she's also part of the family.

My chest tightens a little. Did I just call Dad, Austin, Stella and me a family? It feels… good.

"You're very nice, Clary." I hear Austin tell her. To me he says, "Can she come with you more often?"

I raise an eyebrow at her.

"If I have free time, Austin," she says, smiling gently at him.

He nods happily as he takes his last spoonful of his cookies and cream ice cream.

"Yay!" Stella exclaims. "I like you better than Jace's friend from last time. He was scary and he wasn't as friendly as you."

I lean closer to Clary and whisper, "Alec," which makes her giggle a little.

"Well, Stella, I like you better than Jace." My sister's eyes widen and she looks at me with a happy expression in her face before she breaks into giggles.

"Ouch," I whisper before scooting back to my previous place. Clary only laughs.

Austin, hating to be not the center of attention, says. "I wanna go home, Papa." His sister sticks out her tongue at him.

I see Dad watching the four of us, smiling. He shakes his head. "I'm afraid we'll have to grant Austin's request now."

I nod. I hadn't even noticed the time. "Right."

Outside, Dad says, "Thank you for the time, Jace."

"Thanks for yours, too." I look at the kids. "Also, tell Amatis I say hello."

His face softens. He definitely wasn't expecting me to mention his wife. "Will do." He calls the kids, who are saying their goodbye to Clary. "Time to say goodbye to your brother."

They turn to me, smile. "Bye, Jace. When will we see you again?" Austin asks.

"Soon."

"Bye-bye, Jace," Stella says. "See you again."

I ruffle their hairs one at a time. "Be good kids, okay?"

"Okay!" They answer at the same time before each taking our dad's outstretched hands.

"Bye," Dad says. "Also, thank you for your time, Clary. It's a real pleasure."

Clary nods at him. "Same to you too, Mr…" she catches herself, smiles shyly. "Stephen."

Dad gives us one last smile before he leads the kids away.

"Let's go?" I ask Clary.

She nods. "Yes."

…

We're stuck in traffic when I notice her adjust the sleeves of her top. "You cold?"

She turns to me and nods. "Ice cream in January."

I smile guiltily and turn on the heater. "That, I should have at least informed you."

"Yes, you should have."

We don't speak as the car advances for a few blocks before stopping again. When the temperature gets warmer, she mutters, "Thanks."

I turn sideways to her, keeping one hand on the wheel. "So, are you still going to scold me for skipping soccer?"

She bites her lips. "Just this once, I won't." And then, as if done thinking it through, she says, "Jace, thank you. I feel… I feel like it's a privilege to meet your… father and siblings again. Thank you, thank you for…" She doesn't finish her sentence but we both know the end: _letting me in_.

I smile at her. "I haven't known them that long but I can already tell they really like you."

She smiles playfully. "Apparently, I'm friendlier than Alec."

I chuckle. "If you're subtly implying that you should be my new best friend, I'm sorry but I will have to say no."

She rolls her eyes, but she's still smiling. "I noticed you've gotten better at interacting with your siblings."

The car in front of me moves so I turn my head ahead, but I still keep an eye on her through my periphery. "I've had practice. Fun fact about me: I'm good with kids."

"Really?" she asks, teasing in her voice. "Because I remember the first time you met Stella and she wanted to sit on your lap, you looked uncomfortable."

"It's because I didn't know her," I reply as the car in front of me halts again. It's still early for traffic, but right now I don't mind being stuck here. "And well, there's the fact that I didn't know she existed until then."

When I turn to her again, I see the teasing and playfulness on her face has left. "I didn't think of it that way." She turns her head down and I know she wants to say sorry.

"Don't you dare blame your judgment."

She looks up at me and opens her mouth as if she wants to say something then decides better of it.

"Do you know the guy I'm often with? M? He's also in Graymark's class."

"You mean Mark Blackthorn?" She asks curiously. "Yes. He always gets praised because of his high scores."

I can't help but chuckle – at M's full name which always appealed to me as too nice, and the slight bitterness in her voice when she talked about his scores. "Yeah, that one."

"What about him?"

"He has lots of younger siblings. I've learned interacting with kids through the times I spent with them."

She's looking at me as if I have grown an additional body part. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"That's great." She's smiling now but I still see a little guilt on her face. Then reality hits me - she shouldn't feel guilty, _I_ should be.

I look at her. This is it. I open my mouth but the car in front of us speeds and I'm forced to follow. Unfortunately, the next lanes are all free and throughout the drive, all I can do is glance at her once in a while.

Damn it. I pull over and she turns to me, question in her eyes. I take a long deep breath. "Look, Clary, I need to tell you something important."

"Hmm?"

I exhale. _She has to know. She deserves to know. _Her phone rings. Fuck. "Ignore that."

"But –" The ringing stops but then it beeps, signalling a message. She looks at me before she fishes the phone out of her bag.

Okay. Maybe that's a good thing. Let her deal with it for a while. Maybe I do need a few minutes to gather my thoughts. I need to tell her in the least hurtful way possible.

"Jace?" Her voice stops my fingers from drumming on the wheel – I didn't notice I was even doing that – because there's something in it.

I turn to her and see her green eyes filled with deep worry, the same worry that tells me instantly that I won't be able to tell her about the bet today. "What's the matter, Clary?"

"Can you take me home?" She asks lowly. "As in, right now?"

I'm already starting the car. "Sure, of course." It's a good thing that we're actually near her neighborhood.

She's silent the rest of the way, staring out the window, gripping her phone tightly. When we reach their house, she finally turns to me. "Thank you, Jace." That's all she says but her eyes tell she wants to say more. The same eyes that keep on getting shinier with unshed tears of worry.

I have a sudden urge – want – to hug her to me.

She lets out a sigh and smiles a smile that doesn't reach the top half of her face. "Bye."

"Bye." I watch her go inside their house before I drive away.

* * *

It's late in the night but I still can't sleep. My mind keeps going back to this afternoon with Clary and everything that happened. I will never tell anyone but I'm really glad it went well with my dad and siblings. As with what happened after… sure, I'm annoyed as hell that I lost the chance to tell her about the bet but I'm way more concerned about what got her so worried.

Screw my pride. I reach for my phone, go to her contact, and press call. She doesn't pick up. I do it for another ten minutes but get no response.

What the hell is the problem? Is this how she felt when she didn't know my problem in the soiree?

Fuck.

I try calling her one more time but still, it goes to voice mail. Instead, I go for a text message. _**You okay? You can tell me anything.**_

I almost hit send but at the last second, I delete it and settle with, _**Good night.**_

I hope she'll be okay.

-**End of Chapter-**

* * *

There's some Clace time! :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Remember to let me know what you think by leaving a review ;)

Also, if you haven't, maybe you'd like to check out my other Clace story, _Love Rain_? ;D

Thank you!

I love you all!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | June 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	27. Chapter 26

**Author's Note**

I am a bad writer.

I am so, so, so, so very sorry for not updating for more than two weeks! I let myself be distracted by _The Selection_ books, an anime series and half of the _Friends_ sitcom. T_T

I am guilty! Please, please forgive me for not updating for so long!

On the other hand, allow me to thank all of you again for the love and reviews. I hope you won't get tired of supporting this story as well as waiting for my updates.

Here's Chapter 26! Enjoy! :) 

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 26: Questions**_

**-CLARY-**

I dab at my eyes as I rush inside the house, barely noticing Mom when I pass through the kitchen. I'm just about to knock when the door to Jonathan's room swings open and he pulls me inside.

"What's the matter?" I ask while I do a quick scan of him. Physically, he looks all right.

He begins to pace back and forth. "Clary, I need you to be honest with me. Before I got into the accident, did I have a fight with Mom?"

I think back to that morning when I woke up early only to hear him storm out of the door, our mother helplessly calling after him. "I'm not really sure but I think you might have had." I look at him concernedly. "Why?"

He stops pacing and looks at me. "Today when I was hanging out with my friends, I had a sudden headache and an almost similar scene of us flashed in my mind, except I was really angry, talking about a fight at home. And for some reason, I thought of Mom."

I feel tears well in my eyes again. "Jon, how long have you started to get your memories flashing back to you?"

"Today's actually the first time." He resumes his pacing again. "I'm so frustrated right now."

"Stop," I say. "You don't have to force yourself to remember."

He stops pacing and looks at me. "But I want to."

I move closer to him and reach up to touch his shoulder. "I know you want to. I also know you're having a hard time trying to remember but please don't force yourself. We don't want you hurting."

I feel him relax a little bit. "I don't think I can go through dinner."

"Then I'll bring yours here. I'm sure Mom and Dad will understand."

He smiles weakly at me. "Thanks. Sorry I made you rush home."

"You don't have to apologize for that. You're on the top part of my priorities list."

"Of course, you poor boyfriend-less sister."

I slap him on the shoulder I was touching a few minutes ago. "Shut up." I pout. "And for your information, even if I find myself a boy, you're still gonna be of higher priority than him to me."

He grins. "Good girl."

"So," I start. "I'll go to my room and change. I'll be back to give your dinner."

"Sure."

…

I drop my bag on my table once I reach my room. It's a good thing I don't have any school tasks for tomorrow, I can devote tonight to my brother. I quickly change my clothes and go to the kitchen to help Mom.

"Hi, Mom." I kiss her cheek. "What can I help you with?"

She smiles at me. "I'm almost done, honey. Why don't you call your brother or wait for your father?"

"Oh, about that. Jonathan asks if it's okay for him to have his dinner in his room."

Almost immediately, my Mom's forehead wrinkles in worry. "Why? What's the matter?"

"He's busy with the tons of school stuff he has to catch up on," I fib.

"Oh, of course. I'll bring his dinner to him later."

"Actually, I was thinking of doing it."

She seems hesitant for a while before, "Alright, honey."

* * *

"Good?" I ask Jonathan as he finishes his dinner, me sitting on his bed with my legs swinging.

"Yeah," he replies before he gulps down water from his glass, then placing it on top of the plate. "Thanks again."

I move to carry his plate. "Do you need anything else?"

"Are you free for the rest of the night?" He hesitantly asks.

My answer is automatic. "Of course."

He scrunches his nose. "Honestly? I don't want holding you back from some stuff you have to do."

I smile. "I'm really free, Jonathan."

He lets out a small sigh of relief. "Great. Are you up for a sleepover?"

I instantly brighten up. "Really? We haven't done that since, like, forever!"

It's true. When we were young we used to sleep in each others' room for various reasons. Sometimes, it's for a hundred-piece puzzle we were too keen to finish. Most of the time, it was because I was stupid to try to watch a horror movie so I forced him to be my guard. Eventually, we grew up and well, sleepovers were forgotten.

Until now.

"Okay, okay. Ready your room. I'll be back in, uh, twenty minutes."

I hurry to the kitchen only to discover that Mom had already washed our dishes so I'm only left with cleaning Jonathan's. I pass by the living room as quietly as I can, seeing as Mom and Dad are engrossed in this TV show they love to watch. As soon as I'm sure I'm out of disturbing parameter, I rush to the bathroom to get cleaned up for the night.

In my room, I change into my pj's and gather a pillow and my favorite blanket. I don't even give it a once-over and turn the lights off as soon as I'm done. In the living room, I give both my parents a kiss on their cheeks, quickly explaining our sleepover.

"Fifteen minutes," Jonathan announces as I enter his room. "Wow. I'm so proud for such a slow-mover like you."

I make a face at him. "So… what do we do?"

He pats his bed's mattress which he has laid on the floor, alongside a sleeping bag. "Talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah." He crawls under the sleeping bag, arms folded under his head. "Since we have no stuff to build or game to play. Unless you want me to tell you a horror story, that'll be fine."

"Shut up." I hug my pillow to me. "Gosh, your mattress smells like you."

He chuckles. "Of course. Be glad I smell nice."

"Ew, you smell like guys."

"I _am _a guy."

"Ugh. Why don't I have a sister?"

"And I wish for a brother."

"Why am I stuck with you?" We both say at the same time. One look at each other and then we laugh.

"So," I start once I get a hold of myself, "what should we talk about?"

"Life." He lets out a dramatic sigh.

We're silent for a while, obviously thinking of what to tell each other. The truth is, this moment with Jonathan feels foreign to me. We have never had a chance for this before. For a second, I'm tempted to tell him about what has been happening to me for the past month. Maybe his opinion will help since he's a boy. Maybe I can use some insight from a boy other than Simon.

But… he's already troubled by his accident and amnesia; I can't bother him with my boy troubles. Instead, I ask him something I've been wondering for years. "Jonathan, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

I look at him to see his already raised eyebrow. "I've had. Two."

"Really? How come I never knew?"

He turns his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't laugh at me but I have this rule that the first and last girl I'm going to introduce to my family should be the same, should be the one I plan to marry. I mean, when the time comes that I introduce a girl to you and Mom and Dad, I want you to know that she's the one.

"It may be childish but I don't want her to think that you all have some girls to compare her to. I want her to know she's special. I want her to know that she is and will be the only girl I'll introduce to my family because she will be a part of it. I know it's cheesy but I want that."

It's cheesy but also sweet and romantic. "I'm not going to laugh at you because what you just said is really sweet. I'm sure going to wait for her. My god, she's gonna be so lucky to have you love her!"

"Huh. You think?"

"Yes!"

"But what if I meet her when I'm like, fifty?"

"I'll still wait and support you."

"And she's, um, twenty?"

I slap his arm. "Jonathan!"

"What? You said you're still going to support me!" He gives me an accusing look. "And besides, when it comes to love, age is just a number."

I cringe. "I didn't know you're such a romantic."

"Whatever you say. We love harder."

"So are you saying unromantic guys don't love hard?"

"No! And I don't even know where that came from. I don't know why I said that." He sighs. "Here's the thing about people, dear sister; we all have a romantic side to us. Whether you're a brat or a snob or a jerk or an ice queen, there will always be someone who will bring out the romantic in you. At the same time, you will also be the same to someone. I like to believe that usually, it's the same person. But sometimes…" He shrugs.

"What if you never meet that person?"

"Then there's that."

I try to process his words. "You know for a moment, I thought you were talking about soulmates. Now I'm confused."

"What I'm trying to say is there's an equal chance of you meeting or not meeting that person."

"You're…" I shake my head. "You don't sound like Jonathan. Is this a side effect of your accident?"

"Very funny, Clarissa." He looks at me playfully. "So how about you, any past boyfriends you managed to hide from me?"

I swat his arm. "You of all people should know that I have never had any boyfriend."

"What about that guy with glasses?"

"Simon?" I shake my head. "No! We're just best friends."

"And the Lightwood boy?"

I almost laugh at the thought of me and Alec dating. "We're just good friends." He looks unconvinced. "Really," I add, "I've never thought of him that way."

Jonathan's obviously not going to drop the subject easily. "Okay, let's consider that. But what if _he_ thinks of you that way?"

What?

"What if he asked you to the soiree because he likes you in a romantic way? What if all this time, he's been crushing on you but you're just too blind to notice?"

Is it possible? Could it be? I shake my head. There's no way Alec thinks of me that way. "We're just friends."

"You friend-zoned him? Man, that sucks."

"Jonathan! Stop!"

Okay, now I am officially curious. I'm definitely going to try to find out tomorrow. It's not like I have a crush on Alec or what but still, I want to know just in case. What if Alec really has a crush on me and who knows if I've been doing things that he might have had misinterpreted?

"You look deep in thought," says Jonathan. "I'm not sorry, though. I was just trying to point out a possibility."

"A possibility I have never thought of," I say. "Ugh. Now I can't contain my curiosity, thanks."

He laughs deeply. "You're welcome, sis." He turns his head to me. "What about that guy who came to pick you up? What was his name, Jake?"

"Jace," I correct, though my heart is already beating fast. "I…ah…"

"You like him?"

I almost say 'yes' immediately. On second thought, I'm not sure it will be a good idea considering Jace and I made that deal of him picking me up for school two times a week. On the other hand, maybe Jonathan can help me in figuring out what to do with me liking Jace. But then I'll have to tell him the whole story about Jace and knowing him, my brother will surely gift Jace with some physical attacks.

"Silence means yes," Jonathan breaks me out of my reverie.

"No!" I immediately respond, hoping he can't tell I'm lying.

"Nu-uh. I bet something's going on between you two."

"You're not always right."

"Then why did he pick you up again this morning?"

"Because we're friends!"

He snickers. "You friend-zoned him, too?"

"No! Do you have to tease me to every boy?"

"Sorry." Jonathan's barely suppressed laugh is enough to know his apology isn't sincere.

I let him go. "Can we please stop with talks about each other's love life?"

"Hey, you're the one who started it."

I yawn. "Yeah." I haven't realized how tired I am. "I'm sleepy."

"Same," my brother says. "Sleep tight. Though I should warn you, every night I feel like I'm not alone in this room."

I shiver. "Quit making up stories!"

"It's true. I always feel like there are pairs of eyes watching me."

I scoot to the edge of the mattress so I can lie as close to his sleeping bag as possible.

"What are you doing?" He asks as he peeks at me.

"You scared me."

He tries to push me away. "Go away! I was bluffing."

Too tired to crawl, I roll myself to the center of the mattress. "Don't try to scare me again."

I hear him yawn before he answers, "Yes. Now let me sleep."

I smile. I hope the little time I have given him tonight is enough to distract him from his problems.

* * *

_**Good night.**_

I stare at the message for a whole minute before closing it. I don't know what I should be more surprised of – that he texted me or that he named his contact _Handsome Jace Herondale._

Okay, it's the text message. And he also tried calling me five times! What was the matter? It's a good thing I forgot to bring my phone last night to Jonathan's room. I'm not sure he would have lived me down receiving a call from Jace, especially with his questioning last night.

So, am I going to reply? Maybe texting 'Good night' is just something he does daily to the people in his contacts, though he doesn't seem like that person. But then again, I'm still on the process of trying to get to know him. So… _**Good morning.**_

I look at the two words. They look… cold? I add a smiley face. _**Good morning. :)**_

Better. Before I can change my mind or add anything else, I quickly hit send.

My phone beeps only about a minute after I send the message. Jace has replied. _**Hey, good morning. See you tomorrow :)**_

Only six words and one smiley and the usual butterflies flutter their wings in my stomach, although I'm a bit disappointed with what the last sentence implies.

I shake my head and try to remind myself that I do not need to see Jace every day.

* * *

I haven't realized until today that my entertainment during lunch has taken to depend on Alec's presence, when he doesn't show up for the third time. Luckily, Simon has decided to ditch his friends from the Model UN club for me today.

"Why don't you join us, Clary? It'll be really good for you."

I shake my head. "I'm terrible when it comes to public speaking."

"That's why I think it'll be good for you."

"I don't know, Si. I don't think I'll be comfortable."

He shrugs. "Fine, the offer's still up though." He quickly changes the topic. "So how are things with Jace, huh?"

I almost choke on my sandwich. "Can you not put it together like that? It sounds like it's implying something."

Simon rolls his eyes.

"Anyway, we're good. Yesterday, he took me to…" I stop. I forgot how Simon doesn't know half of what happened during my date with Jace before. "An ice cream parlor and we talked."

"Aw, that sounds sweet."

I shake my head. "Simon, please."

He clears his throat. "But Clary, on a serious note, don't you think you two spending time together is a bad thing? What if you fall for him more? And let's say he does care for you but what if it ends there? What if one or both of you ends up hurting the other?"

"Gee, thanks, Simon, for voicing out my deepest worries."

"I'm just concerned for you."

"I know."

We continue to talk about other matters but even as he let it go, I can't help thinking of what Simon said. Do I need to stop this little thing Jace and I are doing? Am I willing to risk getting hurt by him again? But… whether we continue or not, what happens next?

* * *

I'm on my way out the main building when I cross paths with Sebastian. I smile shyly at him but he just passes by without so much as acknowledging me.

What was that?

Yesterday, in the canteen, I had thought he didn't see me. But this time? I'm pretty sure he has seen me. Even in that brief second where our eyes met, I had seen the recognition in his eyes. Will I be wrong to assume he's avoiding me?

But what could I have possibly done to make him avoid me? Or am I just being paranoid?

"Hey." Someone touches my shoulder and I look up only to see Jace smirking down at me.

"Hi."

He looks around. "What are you doing in the middle of the hallway?"

I blush, suddenly aware that some girls are looking at us, looking at Jace, to be accurate. "I…ah…" Why does having his eyes on me now feel different from before?

"Come here," he says, fully wrapping an arm around me, leading me out of the building to what I belatedly notice is the parking lot.

As much as I want to fight it, I let him because I can't even feel my bones. Being this close to him with his arm around my shoulder – it's enough to disrupt the rhythmic beating of my heart.

The sound of his car doors unlocking alerts me. "Wait," I say, not moving to the car. "You're not skipping soccer, are you?"

He pulls back his arm. "Shhh."

I cross my arms in front of me. "No, you're not skipping practice today." I look at his car. "And it's not even Thursday yet so I won't let you give me a ride."

He gives me this pout that had he used on me another time, I would have fallen for it. I shake my head. "No, Jace. You already missed practice yesterday."

He moves towards his car but does not enter and only leans against it. "Then can you wait for me? Maybe stay in that bench where you always sit? We only have one hour of practice today. I want to drop by this new café that makes amazing milkshakes; we can try and judge it."

I try not to dwell too much on the fact that he knows I always stay by that bench in the field or that he wants to take me to the new café. "I didn't know you're the milkshake type of guy."

He smirks. "That's your Jace Herondale fun fact of the day." He passes it off as a joke but I know it's a sincere offering of a part of him.

"If I wait for you, you're going to practice?"

He nods.

I know I shouldn't agree but if it will make him attend practice… "But promise me you won't pay for my milkshake?"

This time, he smiles and pushes off his car. "Sure. It's a deal then?"

"Deal," I say as I nod my head.

Jace clicks a button on his keys and his car locks again. He starts to walk and I shoulder my bag as I follow him.

Lord, please don't make me regret making another deal with Jace.

* * *

"Clary, your ride's here!" Jonathan shouts as he turns his head from the window.

I pause tying my shoelaces. "Wait, what?"

Jonathan is looking at me playfully. "Ah, this explains why you woke up early."

"No!" I blurt out. It's the truth, though. I had gotten out of bed very early this morning that I surprised everyone by making breakfast.

"Are you leaving, then?"

I nod. "I guess so. It'll be rude to make him wait." Seeing the grin on my brother's face, I say, "We're just friends! Let it go."

"You say so." He shrugs but the he's still grinning.

"I'll just say goodbye to Mom and Dad then I'll be going. Bye!" We both go our ways; he to the bathroom and me to our parents.

…

"Hey." Jace's hair is messy as if he has just woken up but his eyes tell he's very much awake.

"Good morning." I don't wait for him as I enter his car.

"Same to you," he replies. "Sorry for going here early. I didn't want to stay too long in the house and my car brought me here."

I don't want to process right now what that means. "You're lucky I woke up early today."

He grins as he starts driving. "Will it be okay if we stop by a diner? I haven't eaten anything and I don't like the breakfast they serve at school."

"Sure." Without waiting for him to notice, I drop my bag on the floor and relax against the seat. I don't know but today I don't want Jace and me to get into something remotely close to an argument. Maybe because it's because I had woken up early and just want today to be good.

Jace turns on the radio and Troye Sivan sings through the speakers. "I like this song." I slightly turn my head only to see him nod.

"Well, it is a good song."

"It's so good it awakened the remaining part of me that's still asleep."

All of a sudden, he sings along loudly, obviously out of tune on purpose.

I laugh hard to the point that whenever I try to join in, I only end up coughing out more giggles.

"Youth" ends and the next song is something we both don't know. I finally take control of my laughter. "I take it my Jace Herondale fun fact for today is that you sing along to Troye Sivan songs and you're an early riser?"

He laughs a little. "Hey, his voice is admittedly good and with me being an early riser, I had to practice myself."

Something clicks in my head. It's an assumption, but it is highly probable that he has taken himself to wake up early because he had to give his girlfriends rides; some of which I have seen since I started to study in Lightwood Academy.

"What are you thinking of?"

I clear my throat. "I'm just wondering… won't this whole you giving me rides to school seem weird? I mean, what if… people who see take it for something else? Won't that ruin your chances with other girls?"

It's Jace's turn to clear his throat. "Clary, the truth is…" He sighs. "The truth is I'm actually still moving on from someone."

"Oh."

He's moving on from someone? He… He's actually moving on? So much for me thinking he doesn't really care about his exes' feelings. I don't know what to say. Should I ask for details?

"I'm sorry," he says, "I should have told you before."

I nod, then realizing he probably didn't see, I say, "I-It's okay."

I sneak a glance at him and see him nod a little distractedly. Is he as uncomfortable as I am? I don't ask and he makes no offer of further information about his moving on.

He parks his car and finally, Jace turns to me. "Do you want to go inside and eat, too? Or do you just want me to order a to-go?"

"I'm good. Can I just go inside even if I won't order anything?" I'm surprised I don't hear anything unusual in my voice considering I am still very much disturbed by the fact that he's moving on from someone.

_I care. I care. I care and I want to know_.

Jace eyes me for a while. "Please don't get mad but I want to treat you something."

I automatically shake my head.

"Just today, please? I haven't treated you in a while."

I don't know if he does it on purpose but whenever he says the word 'please' he gives the puppy eyes. I can't resist those eyes and anyway, he's right. He hasn't treated me since that ice cream in Brooklyn. I try to hide my smile at the fact that he knows I hate being treated and respects it.

"Okay, just for today," I say. "And nothing fancy, okay?"

He unlocks the doors. "Pancake, waffle, or French toast?"

"Toast." I get out of the car and wait for him outside so we can both enter.

* * *

Jace is already outside the classroom when chem class ends. I rush to him and whisper, "What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up? We're going to meet my dad and the kids, right?"

I look around. "But I thought we're going to meet at the parking lot! Is that why you asked what and where is my last class today?"

He nods, but he's starting to frown. "Does… does this make you uncomfortable, me showing up here?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I'm just surprised."

He sighs. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you first."

"It's okay." I shoulder my bag, eager to leave and be out of people's view. Why does Jace attract everyone's eyes?

"Hey, man." Mark Blackthorn comes to us, slapping Jace on the back. When he sees me, he gives Jace a look in a less discreet way than he must have intended to. "I didn't catch Izzy. She left in a rush."

"That sucks." Jace runs a hand through his hair. "I'll check with Alec later. See you tonight, then."

"Yeah." Mark starts to jog backwards. "See you tonight, birthday boy."

_Birthday boy?_

It's not until we're in his car that I ask him. "Um, is today your birthday?"

He looks at me right before he puts his keys in the ignition. "Yes."

"Happy Birthday." I know I'm blushing. This is a little awkward. Did he not tell me it's his birthday because he didn't want me to know?

"Thanks." He squints at me. "Wait, are you mad that I didn't tell you today's my birthday? I just thought you wouldn't have cared."

I shake my head. "I-It's just… I feel bad because I've been with you early this morning; you even treated me some toast and I didn't know. I feel really bad only greeting you now."

He leans closer to me. "Sorry. It's just I don't really look forward to my birthday and…" His face goes gray. "Shit! I should have told you. Why didn't I just mention it?"

As much as I am relieved that he didn't not want me to know about today, I'm more concerned that he's genuinely upset about not telling me. "Hey, at least now I know." I give him a tiny smile. "Consider this your fun fact about me: I care about my friends' birthdays."

His eyes widen and he smiles a little. "Great. Since you obviously have no gift for me, can I just make a request?" He asks so carefully, I can't help but nod. "Can you give your Sunday afternoon to me?"

"Huh?" An afternoon with him?

"Unless you're busy with homework or stuff," he adds quickly. "But it'll be great if you can give me your time."

"Um… my birthday gift to you would be my time?"

He hesitates. "My grandmother gave me tickets to _Les Miserables_ and it's scheduled on Sunday. I just think maybe you'd like to see it, too."

I feel two emotions at once. First is excitement; Jace just invited me to a musical! I have never been to one before since as no one else in my family appreciates musicals that much. Second is disappointment; it sounds like we're going to watch the musical as a group.

"I-I'm free. But are your friends going to be okay with me coming?"

Confusion clouds his face. "Friends? What do you mean?"

"Didn't you say your grandmother gave you tickets? I can't be the only one you're inviting right?"

His expression changes to understanding. "She gave me _two _tickets."

_Oh_.

"And y-you're inviting me?"

"Yes, so please be free on Sunday."

"Are you sure?"

He smiles as he nods and I force my heart to calm down. "Happy Birthday to me."

"Wait, it's just the two of us? Does that mean it's a date?" I blush as I say the last part but I can't help but voice it out.

He blinks. "Now that you mention it, I think it is." He eyes me. "Are you gonna be okay with that? Because I remember you telling me our first date was also our last date."

I blush even harder so I look down at my nails. I know it's no use since he probably has seen it and I can only be thankful that he doesn't tease me about it. "I-It's o-okay."

"Great! Can I ask you a favor?"

I hesitate for a second. "As long as it's reasonable and attainable."

"Can you look at me? And no, that's not the favor." With every word we exchange, his voice is becoming gentler and gentler.

I bring my eyes back to him only to see that he has an almost smile on his lips. "Can you wear that green dress I gave you?"

Okay, heart, calm down. "Won't I be overdressed?"

He lets the smile settle on his lips. "I'll wear a long-sleeved button down. And besides, no one will care what we wear when we go there. Also, I think many people will be as dressed as, if not more than, us."

"Okay."

He nods and smiles at me one last time before he puts the keys and starts the car.

When we're on the road, I say, "Um, I'm still not a hundred percent sure I can come on Sunday. I'll have to check with my family tonight. I'll just message you in case." I turn my eyes to him but he only nods, still looking at the road but knowing I'm looking at him.

I clear my throat. "So, you probably should think of someone else to ask to go with you just in case I find out tonight about some forgotten plans on Sunday. You know, so you'll still have someone to go watch the musical with."

Jace doesn't answer as we pass a few blocks so I decide to train my eyes in front of me, glancing away from him. And just when I'm about to ask about turning on the radio, he mumbles something so lowly I'm not even sure if I just imagined it. "Might as well not go at all if you're not coming."

I give him one quick glance but before he can look at me, I turn my head towards my window. This – this is not safe. The erratic, irregular rapid beating of my heart is not safe. Jace Herondale is not safe.

But is safe always the right option?

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Not much Clace time but, they're going on a date next chapter! *Squeals*

Again, I apologize for only updating now.

Please let me know what you think of this chapter and this story by leaving a review or a message! :)

I love you all.

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | July 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	28. Chapter 27

**Author's Note**

Early update! Yay!

I got so excited about this chapter that I finished it faster than the other chapters. I literally stayed till one o'clock in the morning for days because I couldn't just stop writing. I worked really hard for this update so I hope you'll all appreciate this :)

On the other hand, I haven't been able to update **Love Rain**again but I'm hoping I can get back on track with that story soon :D

Thanks for all the reviews! Consider my early update as an early gift :)

Here's Chapter 27! I hope you enjoy it!

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 27: Date (Part II)**_

**-JACE-**

"Are you sure you want to share this?" Clary asks for the third time.

"Yeah. Quit asking, just break it."

"But!" She hesitates a little. "I saw the way you're looking at it since Austin and Stella gave it to you. You acted as if it's a bar of gold instead of chocolate."

I chuckle. We're on the drive to her home after meeting with my father and siblings. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice. I can't help it. It's my first gift from my brother and sister." And much more than that, I am honestly touched that Dad remembered my birthday.

"Right," she says. "And now you're saying you want to share it with me."

"Because it's too big!" I fake a glare at her. "And you should feel lucky because I'm sharing it with you."

She blinks then nods her head. "If you insist." She breaks the chocolate bar in half and gets her portion using a tissue.

I keep an eye on her as she nibbles on her part carefully. She looks so innocent and I have this sudden urge to take a picture of her.

"Jace?" She holds her chocolate away from her mouth. "C-Can I ask you something? It's a bit personal."

This is a daring action of her – asking me – and I hear the hesitation and nervousness in her voice. I, too, am nervous. What can she possibly ask me? "Sure."

She clears her throat. "Have you… have you met with your father alone? I noticed you don't talk or interact much with him and he only watches you and the kids."

"We have met twice already, both times talked for a long time." I think back to our conversations. "For now we're on the process of catching up for the lost years."

I feel her eyes on me. "I'm so glad for you both."

It's her words that attest she's a really nice person. A person like her does not deserve to not know the truth. Should I use the fact that today's my birthday and tell her about the bet?

_No, that's not right_.

Then when should I tell her? My selfish side says I shouldn't tell her until after our date on Sunday.

Monday, then?

"Jace?"

"Yeah?"

"Um. I just asked you something."

I turn my head to her. "Sorry, I got distracted. What is it again?"

"First, please keep your eyes on the road." She really has straight priorities and I like it about her.

I follow. "Yes, ma'am."

I hear her smile. "Um… I asked how Alec is."

Jealousy attacks me, the one I only ever felt with Lily and her boyfriend. Does this mean I'm starting to care more about Clary? "He's occupied with family matters. Don't you have his number?"

"Oh. And no, we don't have each other's number."

I actually feel a little bit triumphant for having her number and exchanging messages with her. Shit, why am I being like this?

"If you're worrying about him, he's okay. I'll tell him you asked."

"Thank you, Jace."

I can tell she wants to ask more. "Go on, ask me."

"H-how did you know I wanted to ask something else?"

"I can just tell."

I feel her squirm a little on her seat. "This is kind of weird… does Alec have a girlfriend or someone special?"

Shit. Does she like Alec? "Do you have a crush on him?"

"No, no!" Instant relief floods through me. "Why does everyone think that?"

"Everyone?" We're already in her neighborhood where I see the houses which are starting to become familiar to me.

"You and my brother."

"Then why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious."

I stop my car and turn to her. "He doesn't have a girlfriend that I know of."

Clary doesn't meet my eyes. "Well, does he at least tell you of someone he likes?"

I almost say it's her but Alec never really said he likes Clary in that way. I shake my head. "He can be very secretive sometimes."

She nods in agreement. "He never told me who he was until Isabelle introduced him in her party!"

"You became lunch mates with a stranger," I tease.

She smiles. "At least he turned out to be a nice person."

"Well, Stella might not agree with you."

We share a laugh and I make the mistake of looking into her eyes. I'm captured right away. It then dawns on me so suddenly – I like Clary's green eyes much more than Lily's hazel ones.

I break eye contact. "I know it's still a month away, but will you come to Stella's birthday party?"

She nods. "I promised her, right? She even gave me an invitation. Your sister is so sweet."

"She really likes you." As I say the words, I realize something. Stella's already attached to Clary and judging Clary's interaction with them, I can tell she already cares for my siblings, too.

Maybe when I tell her about the bet and she ends up hating me, I'll ask her to at least keep in touch with the kids.

"Jace?" Clary's voice calls my attention again. "Happy Birthday." She smiles shyly. "It's your birthday but you gave me a chocolate instead. Thank you."

My hand automatically moves to touch her face but I stop it in time. I've been experiencing it lately – these urges to touch her – but I'm not sure if they'll be welcomed by her. "Thank you, too. I'll be looking forward to Sunday."

She climbs down the car and turns to the window. "Me too, if nothing comes in the way."

That's enough to leave me smiling like an idiot the whole way home.

* * *

Almost as soon as I change my clothes for tonight's night out, my phone rings.

Alec.

"How's Izzy?" This has been my greeting to him lately.

"Missing." His voice sounds distressed. "I mean, right after she got home, she left immediately not telling where she's going."

"Is she at least talking to you now?"

"Only when necessary."

I sigh. "She's been avoiding M and Seb, too. Maybe we should just give her more time."

"I know." I hear Alec pacing around, something he does when he's upset. "I talked to Mom. As expected, Iz is not responding to her calls and messages. I think she may have even blocked her number."

"If birthday wishes are true, I'll wish for her happiness."

"Thanks." Alec sighs loudly. "My primary concern right now is where she's been going. She's been going somewhere for the third consecutive day now. What if something happens to her?"

It's everyone's concern. But telling Alec will only worsen his state. "Alec, can you stop worrying for a second? She's your sister, I know, but if you continue like this, we'll have two Lightwoods to care for."

He's silent for a second before he speaks again. "I understand. I'll still meet you tonight, though."

"You better," I joke. "By the way, Clary asked about you. I told her you're okay. She's fine, too, though I can tell she kinda misses you."

"Aw. I miss her too."

I ask him the question before I can change my mind. "Do you like her? In a romantic way, I mean."

Alec doesn't reply right away. In fact, it's taking him so long to answer I'm beginning to think he had hang up on me. As I'm about to take my phone away from my ear, he speaks. "I don't."

I'm surprised by the big waves of relief crashing to me. I just now realize that I _did _care whether Alec or not likes Clary in that way. "Have you ever considered?"

"Once. But I only can see her as a good friend. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

"Okay." He doesn't sound convinced. "See you later."

"Yeah, bye."

* * *

Her mom comes out before she does. It's my fourth time seeing her but Clary's strong resemblance to her still shocks me. She's like a walking future of Clary. I come out of the car before she reaches me.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Morgenstern."

She nods at me in greeting. "Jace, right? I just want to thank you for inviting Clary to watch this musical. I wish both of you a good time."

A difference between Clary and her mom is the way they carry themselves. Mrs. Morgenstern speaks with confidence and surety whereas Clary speaks with stutters at time, unsure and shy.

"No problem, Mrs. Morgenstern. Thank you for permitting Clary to come. And I promise I'll bring home your daughter safe and sound."

She smiles at me. "Please do. We'd really appreciate it if our Clary is safe."

I nod. But before I can speak again, my breath gets caught. Clary is on her way to join us. The green dress really, really suits her. Her hair which is usually down is half up, half down, the top crowned by braids. She really does look like a fairy. Why did I even not want her to wear that dress to the soiree in the first place?

She's fucking pretty.

That same feeling I had when I first saw her try the dress in the shop returns.

I want to kiss her.

"You look wonderful, honey." Mrs. Morgenstern says as Clary reaches us.

"Thanks, Mom," she replies.

"You take care, okay?"

She nods and gives her mom a hug.

I finally find my voice. "I guess we're leaving, then, Mrs. Morgenstern."

Clary's mom nods. "Please have a good time."

I open the door for Clary, which surprises her but she climbs in the car. "Thanks," she mumbles.

I get in the driver's seat and nod one last time to Clary's mom before driving away.

…

Once we're out of their neighborhood, I say, "You look pretty, Clary."

I see in my periphery that she blushes. "T-Thank you. You look handsome, too."

I chuckle. "Wow, this is the first time you have called me handsome." And even though I have heard it a thousand times from others before, I like the sound of it coming from her lips.

She blushes even harder but says, "Speaking of, why did you name your contact on my phone like that?"

I snicker. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She shakes her head but I see the corner of her lips tugging into a smile.

"But honestly, you really look pretty." I can't say it enough. "I mean, you're always cute but you're extra pretty right now."

"Thank y-you." She looks out the window and I know she's trying hard to control her blush.

I don't tease her about it.

* * *

"Let's eat at a fine dining restaurant," I announce as Clary and I exit the venue.

"Huh?" She looks up at me.

"Please, please let me treat you."

Maybe it's because she's still in awe by the musical or it's really okay for her but she agrees. "Nothing too fancy, nothing too expensive."

I raise my right hand. "I promise."

She smiles and puts up a pinky finger. "I don't trust much on right-hand promises. Pinky swear."

I shake my head, smirking, but I lace my pinky finger through hers anyway and when our thumbs press together, I almost do not let go.

We walk to the nearby restaurant and after we make our orders, I begin to speak. "So, did you like it?"

She nods enthusiastically. "I loved it. When I read _Les Miserables_ a year ago, I really loved it. And seeing it come to life on stage was just magical."

_You look magical_. Shut the fuck up, brain.

"I haven't read it yet."

"What!"

"Seriously." I put up both my hands in defense. "Don't kill me."

"You should try to read it."

"O-kay." The truth is, Seb has forced me to try it before and I got stuck after two chapters. But for Clary, maybe I'll give it another try.

"How about you? Did you like it?"

I nod. "Yes."

"That's all? 'Yes'?"

"Fine. Watching it was _magical_."

She makes a face at me and I smirk at her.

"Anyways, did your parents give you curfew or something?"

"Um…" She thinks for a while. "My dad said he'd appreciate it if I'm home before eight."

That sucks. "We have two hours at most. Do you think maybe we can stop by the park or something?"

She tilts her head, obviously weighing the pros and cons of agreeing. "Okay. But first, let's eat. I'm hungry."

I grin at her. "Me, too."

* * *

"Are you sure you won't take your coat with you?"

Clary nods her head. I just parked the car near a line of shops not so far from the park and we're having a little bit of an issue because she doesn't want to wear her coat outside but I'm insisting she does. Right now I'm letting her win.

"Fine. But if you get cold, don't ask me for a hug."

She blushes a little but tries to mask it by rolling her eyes as she opens the door and exits the car.

I follow and we start to walk side by side. I'm itching to hold her hand. Why the hell do I want us to hold hands? Maybe she notices my looks at her hands so she laces them behind her. In the meantime, I put my hands inside my pockets.

It's not until after we had entered the park that we speak. "Jace, how does it feel like to be, um, eighteen?"

"I don't really care about age that much. Wait, I'm eighteen?"

She tilts her head. "Aren't you?"

I smirk a little. "I am."

She purses her lips and raises her eyebrows.

"Honestly, I feel like nothing had changed; only my age has increased by one."

"Okay." She nods her head.

We continue to walk for a few more moments before I say, "So Clary, how is this date going so far?"

"Better than the first one." She tilts her head again. "You've had practice."

Her voice is teasing but I frown anyway. "Don't say that."

She blinks. "Wait, did I…? I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

I shake my head.

She smiles shyly. "How about you? How's this date for you?"

"Really great." I smirk. "_Magical_, I should say."

She slaps my arm and pouts. "Okay, I'm going to have to ask you to stop saying the word 'magical' when we're together."

I chuckle. "Request: pending."

We find a bench and take a seat. "Can we play a game?" I ask.

Clary looks at me. "What game?"

"Well… we exchange facts about one another?"

Her eyes widen a little and she nods.

I clear my throat. "Okay, I'll go first." I sort through things on my mind and settle for the simple one first. "I have a sweet tooth."

She smiles. "I noticed." She doesn't miss a beat. "Um, I like my coffee black."

"Really?"

"Yes." And she smiles even wider, obviously having an inside joke with herself.

I don't ask her about the inside joke. Bracing myself for her reaction, I say, "Okay. Don't judge me for this one. I haven't read the _Harry Potter _books yet."

"What! Didn't we all read it in middle school? Have you at least seen the movies?"

I shake my head. "Fine, judge me, but don't _kill _me."

She has this unbelieving look on her face. "How can you not have read or watched them? I'll lend you my books, just read them."

I raise my brows. "First _Les Miserables_; now, _Harry Potter_? What else would you want me to read, my dear?"

Either she doesn't notice the endearment or she's not really annoyed by it but she ignores the "my dear" part of my question. "Okay. You can put off reading _Harry Potter_. Will you at least watch the movies?"

I pretend to consider it before nodding. "Ooookay. I'll hand you my reaction paper per movie in A4 paper, Times New Roman, 12, double-spaced with one inch margin on all sides."

She tries to pout but bursts into giggles in seconds. "You're being silly."

I dare a joke. "Silly but still handsome."

To my surprise and relief, Clary nods in approval. "Silly and handsome but is a muggle."

"Hey. I don't have zero information about _Harry Potter_! I get what you mean. But I'll be a muggle no more." Why am I enjoying having this conversation? "It's your turn."

"Well…" She thinks for a second. "I don't like showing my art to my mom."

"What? Why?" I haven't actually seen any of her works yet but I get the feeling she's a good one. Seb told me about her portrait of him in his study and he's really picky about what goes in there so her work must have been good enough, right?

She shrugs. "You know, she's the original artist in the family. She works as an art consultant for many people and she sells her paintings, too. And her opinions about my art really matters to me. That's why I'm so afraid to show them to her."

It suddenly occurs to me that over the years, I've been letting myself to care less about my mom's opinion of me. But then again, she's always been over supportive. "You should really work on your confidence, you know."

Clary nods slowly. "I know."

"Okay." I tap my fingers on the edge of the bench. "I can't draw."

"Really?" She sounds surprised as if she had thought all this time that I'm an artist.

I then remember something she had told me before. "You see, the lefty art magic didn't work on me. Maybe I'm left-handed by mistake."

That makes her laugh a little. "Have you ever really tried?"

I think back to my drawings of humans that look like frogs, gates that look like trees, and my attempts of doodling that end up with squiggly lines and weird shapes. "Yes. And the results are just heartbreaking." I clutch a hand to my chest. "Dream-breakers. Ambition-killers."

"Poor you." She bites her lips but ends up laughing anyway. "My turn." She seems to think for a while. "I'm a bad dancer. I can't even get one dance right."

"But you were dancing with Alec at the soiree." I remember the tinge of annoyance I felt when I saw them dance together. "You two seemed fine. Maybe slow-dancing is your thing."

Clary lets out a short laugh. "We seemed fine only because he was being too nice to complain about me stepping on his feet, plus he's a good dancer."

I have a sudden realization. "Wait, was Alec your first dance?"

She blushes, looks down and nods.

"You haven't danced before? Eight grade?"

She sighs. "Someone asked me to eight grade formal but I turned him down." She shrugs as if she doesn't care. "So, I haven't slow-danced with anyone until Alec."

An idea pops into my head. It's too random and also kind of crazy. Not to mention it's not something I would have done before. But then again, I've been doing lots of unusual and crazy things lately.

I stand up, move in front of her, and do one graceful bow. "May I?" I offer her a hand.

Clary's cheeks are tinted with a blush. "W-What are you doing?"

"I seem to remember that when I gave you that," I point to her dress, "I was promised a dance."

"I certainly remember not promising." Still, she takes my hand and lets me help her stand up. "But because I love this dress so much, I'm going to thank you by stepping on your feet."

I allow myself a chuckle even though I'm already distracted by having touched her hand again. I clear my throat. "Shall we?"

The playfulness leaves her face and she reluctantly puts a hand on my shoulder. She cranes her head to look at me and I know she's examining my face. I count to three before carefully placing my right hand above her waist at the same time her eyes find mine, locking me in her verdant gaze.

Then everything changes. It's like the joining of the final piece in a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. It's as if everything in the world falls into place.

This – This is magical. This moment with Clary, me holding her, us standing in the middle of a park under the night sky – it feels _fucking magical_.

She breaks eye contact first. "Um, will you please lead?" Her voice sounds weak, as if staring into my eyes has taken a lot of effort. Did she feel what I felt, too, whatever that was?

I swallow. "Sure." I tighten my grip on her hand and start to move.

"See," I begin, and I'm relieved that my voice doesn't sound strange. "It's easy. Just fol–"

Clary stumbles a little and steps on my left foot.

"–low my lead."

She peeks up at me and mumbles, "Sorry. I told you."

I shake my head. "Just think of a slow song in your head, okay?"

"Okay." I resume leading her.

She stumbles and steps on my foot two more times before we find our rhythm.

We continue to sway for some time, her head still down, when I pull her a little closer to me. "I have a confession to make." I say it in a hushed voice but I'm sure she hears it.

Her body tenses a little. "Yeah?"

I stop moving, making her follow. "First, why are you looking down?" I don't wait for her to reply. I let go of her hand and place it on her chin to lift her head so we can look at each other. I instantly hold her hand again but make no move to resume dancing.

I see the question in her eyes. I clear my throat. "I haven't told you the truth about this green dress, have I?"

She shakes her head no.

"I lied that day." I look away. "I lied when I said you shouldn't pick this dress. I lied about the other dress being the best for you." When I look back at her, our eyes lock again. "This dress you're wearing tonight, it's the best dress for you.

"I told you to pick the other dress because… I was bitter, I guess, that Alec was your date." I sigh loudly. "I was feeling guilty about that until I bought it for you. And I would have bought it for you even if it wasn't Christmas."

Clary blinks once, her eyes glossy. "I really love this dress, Jace. Thank you."

"Were you mad at me?" I ask. "When I told you to pick the other dress?"

She shakes her head. "No, but I was disappointed." I open my mouth but she speaks immediately. "It's okay now. I own the dress already, right? And you gave it to me. So really, thank you." She gives me a sweet smile. "Thank you, Jace."

Something drops on her head and rolls down her face. Without thinking, I wipe it away but more follow. It's when I notice I'm also getting the drops.

It's starting to rain.

"Shit! Shit! We don't have an umbrella." I look around and see the tallest tree near us. I grab her arm so we can run to it but she pulls her arm back and stands still. We're both getting wetter and wetter by the second.

I point to the tree. "We should take cover under that."

Clary shakes her head. "We're already wet."

"But –" She splashes me with rainwater she has collected on her palms.

Her laughter surprises me. "Jonathan and I used to play in the rain when we were young." She splashes me again.

We can catch colds but fuck it, I will not let a girl splash me with rainwater and get away with it. I cup my hands together and fling the collected raindrops to her.

She shrieks and attacks back then tries to run away. I follow her around and soon, we're both laughing, circling our little space in the park.

Our slow dance has now become a water battle.

"Jace!" She giggles and runs toward the bench where we were sitting before. She sits, putting up her hands. "I give up!"

I stop in front of her and drop both of my hands, letting the water fall by my side. "Of course." We're both dripping and it's still raining. I sit down beside her and turn my head so I can look at her.

"That was fun," she says, panting but smiling.

"Yeah," I say, trying to catch my breath. "I haven't played in the rain since I was… well, I've _never_ played in the rain before."

She turns to me so we're face to face. "Seriously?"

I nod. "Seriously."

Her eyes soften and they flit to the falling raindrops. "There's always a time for firsts." She looks back at me.

"I guess so." Damn right, there is. I only say three words but a thousand thoughts and maybe some stupid emotions are running through me right now. I stand and help her to her feet. "We should get going. Your parents might kill me if I don't bring you on time and we still have to get ourselves dry."

She nods in agreement and we walk together back to where my car is parked. Fortunately, the rain has reduced to a drizzle. We take refuge under the roof of one of the shops nearby.

"I'll just turn on the car's heater, okay?" She nods and I go to my car.

When I return, Clary is wringing the ends of her dress. When she can't extract any more water, she then undoes the braided part of her hair and squeezes water off. As she's running her fingers through her hair, she notices me watching and stops.

"We can enter in a few minutes." I hand her coat which she has chosen to leave in the car. "Here. I guess you were right about not taking it to the park."

She's busy shivering to say anything else but a small 'thank you' before she takes it. Instead of wearing it, she just wraps it around herself.

We watch the drizzle in silence as we continue to stand there. Only a few people are around and most of them are minding their own businesses.

I'm fucking cold and I'm sure I'm shivering but even if I can change things, I would still have played in the rain with Clary.

When I'm sure the car is heated enough, I say, "Let's go."

She nods but before we can go, I notice some of her hair is pasted on her forehead and around her face. "Wait." Clary pauses and I push back the locks. Not wanting and able to stop myself, I run my fingers through her still damp hair.

Clary clears her throat but doesn't look at me. "T-thank you."

I pocket my shaking hands and I don't speak or look at her until we're inside the car. She's visibly more relaxed now that we're in the heated car.

"You okay?" I ask, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes."

I don't start the car just yet. "Do you want to turn on the radio?"

"Um… it's up to you."

I don't turn on the radio and when it's clear we're not speaking anymore, I start the car and drive to her home.

It's not until we're approaching her neighborhood does Clary speak again. "Jace?" She sounds hesitant.

I keep my eyes straight. "Yeah?"

"W-When this is all over…" She sighs. "I mean, when I forgive you, will we stop spending time together?" Her voice is so low and I can tell she has been thinking about this.

The truth is I've been wondering about the same thing for a while now. "That actually depends on you," I say. "If you want to stop being friends with me after you forgive me, then I'll respect that."

Clary is quiet for a while before she replies. "I don't want to stop being friends with you."

I almost sigh in relief.

"I mean," she says, "I know our friendship didn't really start like other peoples' but… I've grown to like ours. And…" She shrugs. "I don't –"

"Listen, Clary," I interrupt as I park the car in a nearby empty curve. I look at her. "I don't see why we should stop being friends even when you forgive me. Honestly? I didn't even think for a minute that this afternoon was just me trying to earn your forgiveness – I felt like it's a time for us, being friends. It's not like I'm spending time with you because I feel obligated to. I'd still invite you out even after you forgive me."

Clary sighs. "I-Its just… I thought you wouldn't want to spend time with me since I'm not in your social circle."

"I don't give a damn about my social circle or whatever. We've become friends and I see no reason for us to stop being that." I give her a hard look. "Do you seriously think that…" A flashback occurs to me and I'm instantly filled with anger at myself.

"During one of our tutorial sessions," I swallow the lump in my throat. "I said something really terrible. I was being a jerk. I know those words hurt and maybe it's a little late but I'm sorry. I didn't really mean them."

One look in her eyes and I know she very well remembers what I'm talking about. She tries to smile. "It's okay."

I shake my head. "It's not okay. Telling someone they're not worth your time is just wrong. And I did it to you and didn't even think about what you might have felt. I'm so sorry."

"Jace." Clary surprises me by putting a gentle hand on top of my clenched fist. "I already said it's okay. This has been an almost perfect date. Let's not ruin it, okay?" She's smiling at me genuinely.

Fuck. If she says things like that, I might as well just kiss her. There are times when she's so shy and nervous that she stutters when she speaks. But then there are these rare times when she speaks with confidence that only makes her more likeable. Or kissable.

I return her smile. "You're right." I unclench my fist and turn it upside down so I can hold her hand. "Thank you for giving me your time today, Clary."

Contrary to what I had expected, and much to my relief, she doesn't pull her hand away. "Thank you for today, too, Jace." She squeezes my hand, which I squeeze in return and reluctantly let go after a few seconds.

We're silent as I drive the remaining short distance to their house. When we arrive, I turn to Clary. "So, I hope you had a good time because I did."

She smiles and nods. "I did. Thanks again, Jace."

I look at her. Her hair is drying into its natural curls and although she looks kind of tired, I see in her green eyes that she's actually quite happy. My eyes trail down to her lips and in a split second, I almost do it – lean into her and kiss her.

Maybe she notices me staring at her lips because she clears her throat and looks down. "I… I guess this is the part where we call it a day."

I nod distractedly. "Yeah. Good night, Clary." Will I be welcome if I hug her? Or kiss her cheek?

She doesn't give me time to decide as she reaches to me and quickly squeezes one of my hands. "Good night, Jace."

It's after I watch her disappear through the front door of their house do I realize three things.

First is that throughout the whole time we were together today, I didn't think of anything else – more importantly, of Lily – for even a second. Second is that I can't lose this – what Clary and I have right now. So last but not the least – I can't tell her yet. I can't her about the fucking bet and lose it all.

I'm fucking screwed.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

I hope you loved this chapter as much as I loved writing it :)

Please let me know what you think of this chapter and story by leaving a review! And if you haven't done it yet, maybe you can try recommending this to your friends who are also into TMI? :)

Thanks!

I love you all!

xoxo,

t.e.

[All Rights Reserved | July 2016]

[tyrelleelise Copyrighted ©]


	29. Chapter 28

**Author's Note**

I'M SO, SO SO SO SO SORRRRYYYYYY!

School resumed a month ago and even though it's not halfway through the semester yet, I'm bombarded by school works! As of writing, I have one exam to review for and two papers to finish :( I know I should learn to manage my time properly but I really suck at it and I sincerely apologize for not updating for such a long time.

Believe me, not being able to update frustrated me as much as it frustrated you. But let's all forget about that because I have finally posted Chapter 28!

Anyway, some of you may have noticed that I changed my username, not that it has something to do with the story, though. I just thought you should know.

I'm sorry if it's not much or if it's too short. To be honest, I didn't have enough time to have second or third proofreading so I apologize in advance for grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Here's Chapter 28! Enjoy! (I'm sorry I couldn't think of a good title)

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way that they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instruments_ and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 28: Surprises**_

**-CLARY-**

Mom knocks on my door right as I'm about to go to sleep.

"Hi, Mom," I greet as I open the door for her. We sit on my bed.

"How are you my dear?" Mom asks me as she softy rubs my back.

"I'm fine," I reply. Then, "About Jace and me playing in the rain, I started it. I'm sorry."

She smiles at me reassuringly. "It's okay, dear. Though, can I ask you something about your friend, Jace?"

Feeling a little bit nervous, I nod.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

I feel the blood rush to my cheeks as I quickly shake my head. "No, Mom! We're just friends, like Simon and me."

Mom's brows knot together. "Honey, you can always tell me things."

"Honestly, Mom, Jace is not my boyfriend."

She smiles a little but I can tell she's not fully convinced. "Clary, it's not like your dad and I established a rule that you and your brother can't date until a certain age. It will be okay for us if you have a boyfriend so long as you still have your priorities straight. You said Jace is your math tutor, right? Who knows, maybe dating him will actually help improve your grades."

This is one of the worst conversations I have ever had with Mom. It's so embarrassing. "But… I wish you would just believe me that Jace is not my boyfriend." I swallow. "Mom, I will never lie to you about these things."

Mom hugs me to her. "I'm sorry, honey. It's just… you were so closed-off before; you kept hiding in your shell. And it excited me that you started making friends. With Jace, I just noticed something when you're together and I mistook it for something else."

Understanding suddenly dawns on me. I only now realize how seriously worried I must have made my parents. There I was, sixteen, a junior in high school, so afraid of socializing, no friends near my age. I keep thinking that Jace has such high walls but all this time, I failed to see mine are higher.

And I let him in.

Then I catch the last part of what my mother said. "Mom? What are you talking about noticing something else?"

She clears her throat. "I just see the way you look at him." She shakes her head. "I guess I got too excited. I'm sorry, honey."

"I have a crush on him." I blurt out the words without looking at my mother. "Um, I… actually like him." _And I like him more and more with each passing day_.

"Oh, honey." Mom holds my face so she can look at me and I notice she's trying hard not to say something. "If there's one thing I learned when I was your age, it's to never let a boy wonder if you like him. If you like someone, you tell that person. Whether you get rejected or not, trust me, it's worth it."

"Mom!" I know I'm blushing again.

She smiles and tilts her head. "What? How do you think your dad and I got together?"

I blink in surprise. "You asked Dad out?"

"Not really." Her eyes go dreamy then, obviously thinking of the past. "I told him I liked him just before he was going to ask me out. Well, all of our embarrassment aside, we worked out." She's still smiling but I notice a hint of her sadness in her eyes.

Her eyes return to me. "But I know how shy you can get sometimes, honey. You don't have to tell him you like him if you don't want to."

Again, I speak without giving much thought to it. "He already knows, Mom."

"Oh." She then realizes what I'm implying. "Oh, honey. It'll be okay."

I bite my lip. "Um, he actually said he cares about me."

Mom's eyes brighten a little. "That's good, dear." She stands up and I follow her. "Just remember that whatever happens with you and Jace, I will always be here for you, my baby." She hugs and kisses the top of my head. "Good night."

"Good night, Mom." I murmur against her.

But even after she has long left my room, I still can't fall asleep. I keep thinking of Jace and our date and how I wanted to be trapped in the moment when we danced and played in the rain.

I keep thinking of how happy I am that we're friends… and how I'm starting to really, really, really like him more.

* * *

Mark Blackthorn surprises me in Trigo today as I receive a note from him that says Jace will be waiting for me after school outside the school.

I stare at it for a few seconds before putting it in between my notebook's last page and back cover. Making sure that Mr. Graymark's back is still turned to us, I quickly glance toward the back of the class only to see Mark smirking and just in time, another note arrives.

I'm surprised by how quickly I recognize Jace's handwriting even though I only ever saw him write numbers. _Hey, we have no practice today so don't scold me! I'll wait for you, okay?_

I place it with the first note. Before I can look at Mark again, Mr. Graymark turns to us and starts his lecture.

* * *

I guess my lesson for today is that Mondays are full of surprises. On lunch, I see Alec already waiting for me in our table.

"Hello." I place my lunch on the table as I slide into my seat.

"Hi." Even as he smiles, I can't help but notice the deep worry lines around Alec's eyes. "Long time no see."

"So, how have you been?" I carefully ask, not sure of what to say.

He shrugs. "Can't wait for September."

A question I should have asked long ago comes to mind. "Wait, why are you waiting for college? I mean, why did you, um, stop?"

He stiffens. "Let's talk about that another time."

I nod. "Okay."

"I came here today because Jace said you asked about me last Thursday."

I quickly swallow the bite of sandwich in my mouth. "I missed you, I guess."

Alec smiles. "Me, too." He eyes me carefully. "Do you want to tell me something?"

I shake my head quickly, still too embarrassed to ask the question that has been bugging me since Jonathan raised it.

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, I have something to tell you." He leans forward and whispers, "It's a secret, though."

Alec doesn't wait for me to swear or promise to keep his secret and says it all the way in his low whisper. "I had a crush on Jace for five years."

I jerk back and stare at him, disbelief probably painted on my face.

He leans back on his chair, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "It's true."

I can't believe this. I'm so glad I didn't have the guts to ask him if he likes me – that would have been embarrassing! "Um, so… you're saying you're bisexual?"

"I don't think that would be the right term. I don't – can't – like girls in that way." He looks away. "The truth is, after we started having lunch together, I thought I liked you that way. I thought I could but I couldn't. I'm so sorry, Clary. I was trying to see if I can like girls too and I kind of… I really like you but when I saw you and Jace holding hands when we went dress shopping and I didn't feel any jealousy, I realized I only like boys."

That is pretty much all the explanation I need. If only I can tell Jonathan so he'll stop teasing me about Alec… I shake my head. It's not my secret to tell and I don't want to break Alec's trust.

"I see." I reach across the table for his hand. "It's really okay, Alec."

He shifts his eyes to me and smiles a little. "I'm glad I'm finally able to tell you. I'd really appreciate it if you keep this between us, though."

Oh. Does that mean Jace doesn't know?

Before I can promise, Simon enthusiastically comes to us. "Clary! I need to tell you…" He trails off when he realizes I'm not alone.

Actually, Simon doesn't only trail off, he freezes on his feet and his face has this funny panicked face as if he's caught doing something illegal. "Um…" He gulps as he nervously looks at Alec. "Please don't hurt me!"

Simon doesn't give Alec and me time to react as he starts rambling. "I swear I was just trying to comfort her and I thought she'd like Mom's homemade cookies because they always cheered me up. I really didn't mean for her to stay late in our house. And I promise I tried telling her to stop coming to our house every after school but she kept on insisting and coming. Please don't kill me! I swear I have no dark motives on your sister! I'm just trying to be a good friend to Isabelle."

Alec's smile disappears and his expression hardens. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?" I had expected him to shout but his cold and low voice is even scarier.

Simon is still trying to catch his breath but he's quick to catch on. "Oh, crap."

I slowly stand from my seat. "Um, Simon, I think you're going to need my chair. I'm done with lunch, anyway." To Alec, I say, "Bye. See you around."

I give both of them hopeful smiles, wishing that they will both be good after they talk.

* * *

I'm walking in the hallways when I bump into Simon. "Hey, how did your talk with Alec go?"

He gives me a weak smile. "Fine, I guess. I expected him to hurt me or something but instead, he thanked me. We planned something and hopefully, Isabelle will still talk to me." Simon looks at me apologetically. "I'm sorry I never told you about it. It's just I promised her never to tell anyone."

We turn and begin to walk to the main doors. "It's okay, Si, I understand. It's wise not to break the trust of someone you like."

He shrugs. "I broke it now."

"Yes, but you did the right thing because Alec is her brother."

Simon nods. "I guess so. I'm really sorry, Clary. We should chat again sometime soon just so I can catch you up with things."

"Sure." I'm instantly reminded that I haven't told Simon that I had another date with Jace. And now I don't think I'll tell him about it at all. I feel like Jace and I should keep the date to ourselves and though I can't really ask him not to tell others about it, at least I'll do.

"By the way, Alec asked me for your number. He said he was planning to ask you yourself before I arrived at your table at lunch. It's okay that I gave it, right?"

I smile. "Of course."

We talk about today's lessons as we walk through the halls until we exit the building where we see Maia waiting. "Can we talk?" She asks Simon eagerly without so much as greeting me.

Simon shoots me a look and I shrug. He smiles and he and Maia walk away together, Maia talking energetically.

I'm just about to look for Jace when he appears as if out of nowhere, walking over towards me. "I assume M told and gave you the note?"

I nod. "So, do you have something to tell me?"

"I just thought maybe you'd like to hang out?"

Hang out?

"I have homework in Trigo."

He smirks. "All the more reason we should hang out. Let me help you." When he sees me hesitate, he adds, "Please? Please?" His puppy eyes are back.

Now I'm sure he knows he does that when he says please and uses it in his advantage. "Fine."

One word and his face lights up, making him even more handsome than he already is. "Let's go."

I follow him to his car and once we're inside, he asks me where I want to go.

"The local library?" I suggest.

Jace chuckles a little. "You're making sure we're going to study, huh?"

I smile at him. "Of course."

The drive from the school to the local library is short and Jace decides that we should save our talking for later. He turns on the radio and I silently hum to Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor.

We're silent as he parks his car and as we go inside the library. It's only when we're seated that he speaks. "I quit as an LRC mentor."

I'm just laying out my notebooks and paper and pens on the table. "Why?"

He shrugs irritably. "I keep getting booked for sessions with girls who obviously don't need tutoring. Apparently, they heard I'm a mentor so they kept requesting for me. I even tutored someone I had Trigo class last year."

I study his face that is tinged with annoyance. "You should've thought of that before you applied as mentor."

"Right." He looks at me. "So will you stop going there?"

"Huh? No, why?"

"I can be your tutor."

I blink. "And for what cost?"

"Nothing!" He smiles. "We're friends, and friends help each other, right?"

I roll my eyes, as if that can slow the beating of my heart. "Okay."

Jace Herondale just offered to be my tutor!

He's been tutoring me before but this time feels different.

Jace silently moves his chair closer to mine. "Okay, so, you first try to answer it by yourself then I'll check if it's correct."

"Don't you have any homework to do?"

He sighs guiltily as he reaches for his bag. "Alright. But my homework is an essay and I can't promise I'll come up with anything right now."

It's my turn to smile. "I can help if you want."

"Nice." He smirks and his eyes show there's something he's not telling me.

"What?"

"You'll get mad." He's still smirking.

"Seriously, Jace, I know it has something to do with me."

He shakes his head. "Honestly, Clary, I think you're going to hurt me if I tell you."

I drop my pen on the table. "Just spill it."

"Fine." He eyes me carefully. "I just thought that with us helping with each other's homework… we're like friends with benefits."

"Jace!" I hiss, sure that I'm already blushing.

He shrugs. "See, I know you'll get mad."

"Why would you put it that way?" I whisper-yell. "That's… that's inappropriate."

He puts up both his hands in front of him. "Sorry. Now let's get on studying, okay?"

I nod and turn my head to my notes, all the while trying to not be too distracted that Jace will be studying beside me. Things are really starting to change with Jace lately and I'm not sure what to make of it yet.

* * *

As it turns out, Jace is better in math than writing but even so, he finished the introduction of his essay with only minimal corrections and help from me. I, on the other hand, am lucky to have him teach me because I still can't quite grasp the technique to answering our new topic in Trigo.

Jace is discussing how the right answer comes to be for the third time but I'm only half paying attention now. As my ears are on what he's talking about, my eyes and hand are busy finishing a doodle of Jace.

"Are you even listening?" He says as he drops his pen on the table.

I sigh. "I think it's just too much information for a day." I slide the piece of paper to him.

He makes a sound but after he sees my doodle, his eyes dart to me. "Is this supposed to be me?"

I nod, my heartbeat starting to increase its rhythm as I see the corner of his lips already tugging into a smile.

Jace looks at it again and lets his lips curve into a smile. It's a simple one, a mini version of him with a leg bent in kicking a ball upwards. "It's not as good-looking as me but this will make do."

"I'll take it back, then." Sighing, I try to snatch the doodle from him but he tightens his hold on it.

"Hey! I didn't say I didn't like it! Let me keep it."

"Okay." I let go of the paper and he tucks it inside his notebook.

"You know, this is the first thing you've ever given me."

Now that he mentions it, I realize it's true. All this time he has been giving me things but all I have given him are intangible ones. "Then take good care of it, okay?"

He nods, still smiling. "Sure. Should I bring you home now?"

I look at my watch and nod. We proceed to clearing our things when my pen rolls off to the floor. Jace bends to pick it up but I stop him. "Let me."

As quietly as possible, I crouch down my seat to retrieve my pen. When I look up, Jace's eyes meet mine, merely a few inches away. I blink but even as I try to lean back and put some distance between us, I can't.

He has trapped me with his eyes.

"Jace?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, his gaze travels down from my eyes to my cheeks then to my lips. I swallow, my heart beating fast. Why do I feel like he wants to kiss me? And more importantly, why do I feel like I _want_ him to kiss me?

I close my eyes as he leans closer. Is this it? Am I going to have my first kiss with Jace? In a library? People might see us!

Suddenly, my mind is telling me to push him away, to stand up and leave but I can't, I can't I can't. Before I can do anything, I feel something warm and soft, not on my lips but on my right cheek.

I open my eyes just in time to see Jace pull back, slightly smiling at me.

"Have I told you you look cute when you blush?"

"W-What was that?"

He looks me in the eye. "I'm going to be honest here, Clary. I've wanted to kiss you these days but…" He shrugs. "I guessed a kiss on the cheek would be more welcomed."

I don't reply because I don't know what to say.

He tilts his head. "Are you mad right now?"

I shake my head no.

"I'm sorry?"

Still, I'm wordless.

"Do you want us to leave now?"

I nod.

"Are you ever going to speak to me again?"

I nod but still don't speak.

Jace sighs. "Fine." He starts to put his things in his bag and I do the same. We exit the library in silence.

It's only when he starts driving that I finally find my tongue. "I'm really not mad at you."

He heaves a sigh of relief, I guess. He gives me a quick expectant look, question in his eyes.

I look out the window, already feeling myself start to blush again. "I just… You just surprised me." And kind of tried to give me a heart attack. "But I'm not mad." It dawns on me that I just indirectly told him it's okay for him to kiss me.

On the cheek, at least.

Yet?

My goodness, why am I thinking of this?

"That's good," Jace says as he keeps his eyes on the road. I sneak a glance at him and see the ghost of a smile.

We go back to being silent as I go over through my thoughts. There's no doubt that I'm starting to really like Jace more than before but I'm still uncertain about him. Us being friends is not that stable and easy going yet and me wishing for more will clearly jam things up.

I decide to not dwell on my feelings for Jace too much. That area is still quite unclear. For now, I'm certain of one thing though. "Jace?"

"Yeah?" He instantly replies.

"I think it's okay now."

He's still looking ahead. "What's okay?"

I take a deep breath. "I… I forgive you."

His head quickly snaps to face me. "Pardon?"

"Eyes on the road!" I squeal, then turn so I won't have to look at him even though he turns his head back to the front again. "I said I forgive you now."

Jace doesn't speak for a full minute before he says, "Thank you, Clary." He falls back into silence for a few more moments before speaking again. "Will I still pick you up tomorrow?"

My heart jumps a little. "If you want to." What I definitely won't tell him is that part of me wants him to. The truth is, part of the reason why I already forgave him is I don't want to doubt any more moments we share.

I want to know if there will be differences. I want to know if we have really grown into being good friends.

"Okay. Can I pick you up earlier than usual, then?"

"Why?"

"I want to grab some breakfast outside of school."

I dare to ask him, "Why don't you have breakfast at your house?"

Jace shoots me a quick smile. "I don't like the cooking in our house."

I debate asking him to elaborate his sentence but he speaks again. "So is it a yes or a no? Can I pick you up earlier?"

I sigh. "But why do you have to pick me up? Why don't you just go and have breakfast first before picking me up?"

He also sighs. "Fine, I'll tell you. I don't like having breakfast at home because Mom usually wakes up late for work and I have to eat alone and I get bored."

I suddenly ache a little for him. "Okay then."

"Thanks." I don't have to look at him to see the smile on his face.

We continue to talk the rest of the way to our house. He tells me about his favorite childhood memory when he was five and he wanted to take a spaghetti bath for his birthday and how his dad allowed him, much to his mom's chagrin. In return, I tell him of when I wanted to have a tattoo of Donatello when I was twelve, making him laugh.

He pulls up in front of our gate and turns to me, his tawny eyes staring into mine. "Clary, do you really mean it? Do you really forgive me?"

I nod, though I'm surprised he that he brings it up again.

"We're still friends?"

"Yes."

He closes his eyes and when he opens them, he smiles at me. "Thank you."

I'm confused by this sudden scene. When I told him not too long ago, he acted so nonchalantly. Why does he want reassurance now?

"Um, see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." His smile is still there but I can see him trying too hard not to frown. "Bye, Clary."

"Bye." I smile at him as I exit his car.

As I watch his car drive away, I can't help but think of today and our study session and his kiss on my cheek and my forgiveness and the frown on his face. I did the right thing forgiving him, didn't I?

I shake my head. Maybe Jace is just tired.

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Have I told you we're nearing the end?

Don't worry, I already have an outline for the sequel! ;)

Please review! :)

I'll try to update before this month ends!

I love you all!

xoxo,

i.m.

[All Rights Reserved | September 2016]

[isabelamay Copyrighted ©]


	30. Chapter 29

**Author's Note**

I'm sorry for the delayed update! You know the reason.

Shout-out to my friends IRL who, upon knowing I have a story in this site, didn't stop until they found this; whose names may or may not appear in this story ;)

Here's Chapter 29! Enjoy :)

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer:_The Mortal Instruments _and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story is all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 29: Truth**_

**-JACE-**

I'm just drying my hair from the shower when my phone rings. Seb. "Yeah?"

"I have to ask you something."

I quickly put on a new boxer and drape my towel on the back of my chair. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Seb sighs. "I need a peace of mind."

"Okay, then." I lie down on my bed. "What's it about?"

"Why are you still talking to Clary?"

I inwardly groan, though I somehow already knew the question before he even asked it. "Why, I don't recall us having a rule about never talking to her again once the bet is over, or in our case – called off."

Again, he sighs. "So you're friends with her now?"

"I guess so."

"Do you like her?"

_I think so_. "I don't know."

It takes a few seconds before Seb speaks. "Does she know about the bet?"

"Why do you care?" I finally ask, not wanting to answer his question.

He is quiet for a while. "It's just… I think I want to be friends with her. Just… forget about it."

I suddenly remember M saying he thinks Seb is starting to really like Clary. I'm shocked that I'm no longer surprised that I'm threatened with just the thought of Sebastian liking her, similarly with Alec. Not to mention how jealous I got yesterday when I saw her talking to her guy friend who wears glasses.

"Jace?" Seb's voice breaks me out of my reverie.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know why I'm asking but would it be okay if I become friends with Clary?"

"Sure. Why not?" The truth, though? No, not really.

"Uhh… thanks?" This must be as uncomfortable to him as this is to me. We've never had an awkward conversation like this before even when he asked me if it would be okay with me for him to date Seelie just a few months after our final broke up.

I try to laugh. "You're welcome?"

Seb echoes my laugh. "Yeah, bye."

"Good night, man."

"Good night."

I drop my phone in the bed and groan. I'm screwed. Clary needs to know about the bet. And I really need to decide on what I really feel for her. I can't continue getting jealous of other guys over little things. If only I could kiss her…

* * *

Before I can even put my car on park, Clary is already outside their gate. When she sees me, she smiles brightly. I can't help but smile back.

"Hi."

"Hey."

She opens the door and climbs in. "Mom wanted me to tell you she's thankful I woke up early."

I raise an eyebrow. "You woke up early because of me?"

She blushes a little and nods, then shakes her head. "Yes, I mean, no. I mean, I had other reasons to wake up early."

"If you say so." I smirk as I try to ignore the warm feeling spreading through my chest.

"Oh, by the way, I didn't have breakfast so you wouldn't feel bad for eating in front of me." Before I can even open my mouth, she adds, "Don't treat me!"

I chuckle. "Fine. No need to get mad at me."

She smiles a little and turns her head to look out the window. I reach to turn on the radio and when the song comes on, Clary starts to hum along. I delight with her gentle humming all the way to the breakfast place.

When we arrive, we immediately find a vacant table. Clary dashes toward it like an excited kid. "How about you just give me your money and tell me your order so I'll order for both of us?"

"Okay." She hands me her cash and says, "I'd love some pancakes and a cup of hot chocolate milk."

I grin. "Order taken. Anything else you want, ma'am?"

She smiles. "No, thank you."

I proceed to line up to the counter when I notice some people enter. Not just some people – Lily and her boyfriend. Strangely, I only feel very little pain when I see them together. Shaking my head slightly, I turn my head away from them.

A few minutes later, I feel somebody's presence beside me. In reflex, I turn my head back only to see Lily. She looks shocked at first before offering me a small smile. I nod in acknowledgment.

We're silent for a while before she says, "Hi."

"Hey."

"This place is packed this morning, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A lot of people rushing for work and classes."

She nods. We resume our awkward silence since we haven't talked after the last rejection.

I take a deep breath, bracing myself for what I'm gonna say. "Lily…"

I notice the hitch in her breathing. "Yes?"

"I just want you to know that I'm happy for you and… Jamie, right?" I swallow. "I mean, sure your rejection hurt me but I was too selfish to remember that your happiness matters more than mine. And with him, I just see how there's this brightness in your eyes I've never seen before.

"Don't worry, I won't bother you anymore. I'm just hoping someday we can go back to being friends." I smile at her. "Maybe I could use some sisterly advice then."

She returns my smile. "Maybe."

"So are things between you and your boyfriend serious?"

Lily actually blushes a little. "I think it's still too early to say. Right now we're just enjoying being together."

"I hope you continue to find happiness in each other." As I say the words, I realize I really mean them – no bitterness, no hate. Sadness, maybe. But at this moment it dawns on me that I have successfully taken some steps in getting over Lily.

"Thank you, Jace." She tilts her head slightly to glance at the table where Clary is sitting. With a smile, she says, "I wish the same for you. I don't know if you know this yet but you deserve someone who appreciates you too. You deserve someone who likes you as much as you like them."

I, too, glance at Clary. "Yeah. It's the same for everyone." Then I notice someone approaching us. "Your boyfriend is coming."

Lily smiles brightly at her boyfriend as he reaches us. He hands her a pouch. "Next time, remember to bring it with you before you go out of the car, okay?"

She nods. "Yes, sir."

"Silly." He casually wraps an arm around her shoulder and that's when he notices me. "Hey. Jace, right?" He gives me a friendly nod.

"Yeah. Jamie?" Again, I'm both surprised and relieved that I don't have to force myself to sound friendly.

He nods. "Good to see you here." Anyone can tell how he's a nice guy by just the way he speaks with his deep voice. How can I not be happy that he's with Lily? I look at her and wonder if she has told him about my feelings for her.

Past feelings. Shit. I really am starting to get over her.

"Good to see you here, too." I then turn to give them some space so they can talk. It's not until I have made my order do I talk to them again. "I'll go. See you around in school, Miss Cowell."

Lily smiles at me. "Have a good breakfast, Jace."

When I'm a few steps away, I see a figure leaving our table. After placing our plates of pancakes on the table and taking my seat across her, I notice a little crease on Clary's forehead. "Who was that?"

She flicks her eyes to me and it's when I notice discomfort in her green orbs. "She introduced herself as Seelie."

Fucking shit. "What did she say? Did she do something to you?"

Clary shakes her head. "She just… asked me what's the deal with us."

"And what did you say?" I ask.

"The truth." She breaks eye contact with me. "That we're just friends."

Hearing the words from her almost makes me annoyed if I'm not yet annoyed as hell at Seelie. "And what else?" I push, because I know that Seelie did not talk to her to just ask that.

Clary bites her lips.

"Clary? What else did she say?"

She takes a deep breath. "She told me to stay away from you. I don't understand, Jace." She looks at me again. "Isn't she dating Sebastian? Why does she want me to stay away from you just because she's dating your friend?"

I look around us but Seelie's nowhere to be seen. Huh. The bitch is smart enough to know she should stay away after what she has done. "Don't listen to her. And she's no longer with Seb." I sigh. "She was a mistake, my on and off girlfriend for around five months. Don't mind her. She probably wants to get back together with me now that she's single again."

"Oh. Okay." Still, I hear the worry in her voice.

"Hey." I reach across the table to touch her hand. "Don't let her get to you, okay? She's just someone needy who thinks she can't live without a guy in her life."

Clary nods slowly and I squeeze her hand before I let go. "Okay. I'll just think of this as a disadvantage of being friends with you – having girls threaten me because they like you. I mean, why does everyone go on and assume that just because a girl and a boy go to places together, it means they're in a relationship?"

I nod. What I won't tell Clary is that I actually kind of like making people think we're dating. "Just tell me when anyone bothers you again, okay? Also," I take my fork. "Our pancakes are starting to cool down."

"Thank you, Jace." She smiles at me sweetly.

"Anytime," I say right before I take my first piece of pancake, though her smile is enough to make me feel full.

* * *

"What's with him?" I ask August as I see Seb looking very down at lunch.

August shrugs. "Don't mind him, he's mourning."

"Mourning?"

Upon hearing the word, Seb glares at August. "She's not dead!"

I sigh as I take a seat beside Seb. "Will someone care to enlighten me about what's going on?"

"My baby's missing," Seb says, shaking his head.

"Cera's missing?" M asks as he joins us. "Since when?"

"This morning," Seb answers. "When I went to feed her, she's just gone. Apparently, I forgot to close her house last night."

Seven months ago, Seb bought a pet tarantula as his way of rebelling against his parents when they refused to let him get a tattoo. The arm-rich beast was nameless for a few weeks before Seb crossed paths with his first kiss – an Asian girl who used to play a lot with him when he first lived with the Morgensterns – in the bookstore after not seeing her for four years. They spent the rest of the day together but just as he was beginning to think the sparks were going back, she told him the news of her family's permanent move to Ireland. They shared one last kiss and when he went home that day, he named her after his tarantula and started calling it "his baby".

"Have you told your helpers?" M asks.

Seb sighs. "Yeah. But they're not too eager to roam around the house looking for a lost tarantula."

"Man, she's probably dead by now," M says, earning him a glare from Seb. "No offense."

A groan escapes Seb's lips. "I just want to go home and look for her. Damn. Cera's the only constant in my life right now and then she goes missing?!"

M, August, and I, simultaneously groan. "That's so dramatic!"

As Seb continues to be miserable about his missing baby, and August leaves to get more food, my head almost automatically turn to look at a certain table and as expected, I see her already there but this time, she's alone.

"Why don't you go to her?" M whispers before smirking at me. "Don't tell me you're scared."

I roll my eyes. "Shut up. You can't even tell Izzy."

As usual, that shuts him up. "Speaking of Izzy," Seb starts, still sounding stressed. "Where is she? I miss her already."

"Maryse and Robert, remember?" I say. "Let's give her more time." My eyes travel back to Clary. She's still alone in her table. Usually, when Alec's not around, it's her friend who likes Izzy who eats lunch with her. Why is he not with her today?

Finally deciding that M can tease me however he wants, I stand from my chair and start to go towards Clary. "Oh, he's on the moves." M automatically says once he notices. I turn around to flip him the bird. Seb's head is down on the table, probably worrying about Cera.

Once I reach her, Clary blinks up at me in surprise. "Hi. What's the matter?"

"Where's your friend? The guy with the glasses?"

Her expression turns sad. "Oh, about that…" She bites her lips and motions for me to sit down. "Something bad happened."

* * *

"I hate him!" Izzy says for what seems like the tenth time since she arrived in our house ten minutes ago, shocking Mom and me right after we finished dinner.

I look upstairs, worrying Mom might hear us. "Calm down. Just tell me the whole thing first."

She takes another pull out of the box of tissues I gave her and dabs at her eyes. "See, after the worse holiday vacation in history, I shut everyone out, right?" She looks me in the eye and I see the apology in her brown orbs. "Then school resumed and I started to find comfort in Simon. He was patient and listened to me. He was honest – at least I thought – and didn't tell me shit like it's alright and blah blah blah. He didn't act like he understood my pain but instead let me cry it all out, telling me I might be suffering at the moment but I'll be alright after some time.

"Spending time in his house, with his Mom's homemade cookies – that was the part of the day I've been looking forward to the past week, Jace. And I didn't know how or why but I realized I really like him. I really, really like Simon and I thought he likes me too because first, he told actually told me and he used to stalk me and all but…" A sniff. "Yesterday… and… he's just so nice… but…" Her tears start to fall again and I scoot closer to rub her back.

"I just thought he really liked me but I was wrong." Izzy's body shakes as she continues to cry. "It's like, he brings brightness to me after my parent's divorce only to make me realize later that his brightness was all fake. Why me? I didn't do anything to deserve this, Jace."

"Shh…" I continue to rub her back and try to comfort the first sister I ever had. If Clary hadn't told me her friend's side of the story, I would be ready to kill him now. "Can you continue to tell me what happened?"

Izzy takes a few minutes before she's able to take a hold of her tears. "So I went to their house yesterday only to see him guiding a girl out the door."

"Maybe they're just friends?" I interrupt.

She shakes her head. "Who like to kiss each other on the lips?"

Damn that girl. "And then?"

Izzy takes a deep breath and I see the spark of anger in her eyes. "I waited for a few minutes before I approached him. He acted a little bit dazed. And when he led me inside their living room, who do I see there? Alexander freaking Lightwood, the walking betrayal of the first guy I ever dared to like!"

Even as the words leave her, I still have trouble believing she really likes that Simon guy. Isabelle, who many much more good-looking guys are going after, likes him. Maybe it's true then, what they say about liking someone for who they are, not just about their appearance. Why did I grow up believing that such thing is just bullshit?

When I don't say anything, Izzy speaks again. "Can you believe that? He told me he liked me and then he goes around kissing other girls! He promised he would never tell anyone about me coming to their house but he schemed with my brother behind my back! Is that something you do to someone you like, lie to them?"

Izzy's words slap me hard. Even though I'm not entirely sure yet about my feelings for Clary, just the fact that I have not been completely honest with her the whole time bugs me. "Have you talked to him or Alec?"

She shakes her head. "No. Why would I talk to them?"

"To hear them out? Their reasons for doing what they did?" I offer, also praying at the same time that Clary wouldn't have the same reaction as Izzy when I tell her the truth.

"Is it going to be worth it?"

"Of course, for both sides of the party. You can't just continue with life having some unresolved conflicts with your brother and a friend."

She makes a face which contorts her pretty face but at least she's no longer crying.

"Listen," I begin. "Alec was just concerned about you. You're his sister, for God's sake, and you refuse to talk to your parents, to him, or to your friends about the problem. Would you blame him if he made plans with Simon when he found out about you going to his house? And Simon, I have no excuse whatsoever for him kissing that girl but he did what he did with Alec because it's what he knew was right.

"Maybe he did break your trust but did you even consider that he thought doing so would be worth it for your benefit? I know you have your own problems, Isabelle, but can you take just one moment to remember that not everyone's worlds revolve around you? Alec and Simon probably have their own problems, too. Would you just try to hear them out?"

Izzy is silent for some minutes before she wipes her already dry eyes. "I hate it when you're right. I should go home now."

"Stay the night. I'll have the helpers ready a room for you."

She shakes her head and tries a smile. "Of course you'll do. But I guess I should try to make Alec worry less."

I nod and we both stand up. When she's finally ready, I walk her outside. "Call or text me when you're home."

"I will." Izzy wraps her arms around my neck and murmurs, "I'm sorry and thank you, Jace."

I hug her back. "Anything for you, Iz." She lets go and smiles at me one last time before climbing in her car. I watch her drive away before I go inside our house. I hope everything goes well with Isabelle and Alec and even that Simon guy.

* * *

_**Good morning :) **_

I send the message to Clary even before I get out of bed. It's actually on template already and I've been sending her messages for the past days, all of which she replies to.

I drop my phone knowing she won't be replying anytime soon. Shit. I have even memorized what time she checks her phone in the morning. M won't let me off easily if he ever finds out about this.

* * *

At lunch, Seb's smiling face is enough announcement that he found Cera. "The world is right again." He grins.

"Heh." I'm tempted to ask him if he has talked to Clary already but at the same time, a part of me doesn't want to know.

M starts to choke on his soda.

I pat his back harder than necessary and when he finally gets settled, he glares at me. "Seriously? You mad at me or something?"

My only response is a smirk.

He rolls his eyes and turns to look at the direction he'd been looking at before he choked. "So Isabelle doesn't talk to us but eats lunch with _him _instead?" He comments, disbelief in his voice.

"Him?" Seb and I repeat at the same time and look at the person in question.

Simon. Huh. So she did hear him out and based on what I'm seeing right now, they have tried or are trying to work things out. Good for them.

Izzy must have felt us looking at them because she turns her head, smiles at us, and waves.

"What. The. Fuck." M's confusion is written all over his face and I fight the urge to laugh.

Seb shakes his head. "Let's just wait for Isabelle to explain things to us since she's obviously in a better state now."

"Seb's right. You shouldn't over-think about it." I pull my phone out of my pocket, go to messaging, and start typing, my eyes already focusing on her.

A few seconds later, her head jerks up and she swipes on her phone. Then she cranes her neck upward and looks around the cafeteria. I can tell she's about to give up searching when she finally sees me and our eyes meet.

She gives me a small, shy smile that has a large effect on me.

I smile back before breaking eye contact.

Shit. I think I'm…

"What are you smiling about?" M asks bitterly.

"Nothing." I lie. I can't wait for school to end today.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Clary asks for the fourth time.

We're in my car and had just left the school grounds. "It's a surprise," I tell her the same answer again and when I sneak a peek at her, I see her lips curved into a tiny pout.

I reach for the cup holder between us. "Here. Apple juice."

"Thank you," she says as she takes it. After sipping for some time, she tries again. "So this place we're going…"

"Is a surprise." I chuckle. "Seriously, can't you just wait? Didn't my message at lunch tell you it's a surprise?"

She smiles shyly at me before drinking the juice again, choosing not to answer. After a few minutes, she speaks again. "You know, Simon is really thankful to you."

"Really?"

"Yes. He thinks if you didn't talk to Isabelle, then she never would have given him a chance to explain."

"That's not true. She would have eventually given him the chance. She really likes him." I look sideways at her. "Does your friend really like her?"

She nods automatically. "A lot. Like he really, really, likes her."

"Then did you find out why that Maia kissed him?" I try to remove the edge from my voice, though I'm still a little bit annoyed that that kiss hurt Izzy.

At this, Clary sighs. "Yes. As it turns out, she was trying to get back at her ex, who's in Simon's band."

I scoff. "And kissing him was necessary?"

She shrugs. "She thought so."

"She's lucky Izzy didn't do anything to her."

Clary goes silent for a moment. Then, "Can I ask you something, Jace? It's a bit personal."

"Go on," I reply, while at the same time reminding myself that I promised I would be open to her.

She clears her throat. "Did you and Isabelle ever dated?"

"No!" I hate how defensive I suddenly sound. "I mean, I don't know if she ever thought of it but I'm sure I never considered. She's like my sister and it would be weird." I sneak a glance at her in time to see her shoulders slump.

Is it possible she was jealous at the thought of me and Izzy together?

Before I know it, we're already at our destination.

"Come," I say as I retrieve my keys. Clary takes one last long sip from the juice bottle before removing the belt and exiting the car.

"Where are we?"

I don't reply and when she makes no move of walking away from the car, I grab her arm and together we walk. When we arrive, her eyes widen in amazement.

"Wow."

"Yeah, right?" I grin at her. "I used to go here a lot when I was younger, after my parents' divorce. I'd sneak out our house and away from my nannies. I'd try to play with the other kids but they wouldn't because they were afraid of my mother. A few years ago, people stopped going here."

"It still looks good, though," Clary comments, going towards the old swing set by the corner. I follow her and sit on the remaining swing. Beside it is the old sandbox. The slide and monkey bars were long gone, as well as the seesaws. The shrubs before are no longer growing flowers. The old benches where parents used to sit on are covered with perpetual dirt.

Clary looks at me. "Why did you bring me here?"

I shrug. "I wanted to show you my special place."

She smiles a little as she starts to swing. "Who would have thought Jace Herondale's special place is an old playground?"

"Shhh. You mustn't tell anyone."

"I wish I have a special place like this, too." Her swing's movement starts to accelerate.

Without thinking, I blurt out, "Hey, this can be your special place, too."

Clary gets a second to look at me with wide eyes before the swing brings her forward again. I stand from my swing and stand behind where hers would be. I take hold of her swing when it returns. "Clary…"

She tilts her head to look up at me. "What is it, Jace?"

I open my mouth, unsure of what to say when the rain suddenly pours down – unexpected, uninvited. I put my hands over my head in reflex but Clary just looks up at the sky. Realizing my reflex's action is useless, I hold out a hand to Clary. She takes it and lets me help her stand up.

"Careful!" I warn as she almost loses balance even with me holding her hand.

She bites her lower lip. "Sorry." Then she looks at our soaked shoes. "We should really learn to bring umbrellas."

"It's expected of me not to." I smirk at her. "But you know, between the two of us, you're the more reliable one so one would expect you always have an umbrella with you."

"Except it's in my bag which is in your car. Besides, I like the rain."

"Snow, rain. You like falling stuff from the sky, huh?"

Again, she smiles and splashes me with rainwater.

"What the fu-"

Her laughter cuts me off. "Rule no. 1 when it starts to rain, Mr. Herondale: cup both your hands, get ready to attack, and be ready to be attacked." Another splash.

Right after her second attack, I form my hands and in no time, splash her, too. She giggles and tries to run away. Just like in the park the night of our date, we start to run around in my special place, engrossed in our little play.

She's laughing when I notice she's headed towards the now muddy old sandbox, then her momentum almost topples her over and I rush to her just in time. She exhales a sigh of relief and is about to turn to probably thank me when we notice how close we are.

I have an arm around her waist and we're almost face to face with her craning her neck upwards and me looking down so we can look in each other's eyes.

She laughs a little and I feel the vibration in her body through my arm around her waist. "Leave it to me to be clum–"

I don't let her finish her sentence as I lean down and press my lips against hers. Her lips are unmoving and her whole body tenses but I don't pull away and I don't let her go. Instead, I pull her closer to me until she kisses back. Or tries to kiss back. I get a faint taste of the apple juice she drank earlier and it's the sweetest thing ever.

When it ends, we both sigh lightly and I look at her only to see her cheeks flushed. When our eyes meet, she quickly averts hers somewhere else. She really looks cute when she's blushing. And then everything comes crashing to me at once.

You know how when photographers take pictures, they adjust the lenses to help them get the best picture? And when they find the right focus, it's only their subject that is clear and everything else is a blur in the background? It's what's happening with me right now, watching Clary look around shyly, her verdant eyes blinking repeatedly, and her cheeks flushed pink. She's the only thing I see right now and everything else around us doesn't exist. Everything is adjusted and I see the clear picture now – I am taken by this girl; this sometimes shy, sometimes fiery girl who made me do things I never would've done before; this girl who didn't pity me when I told her about my family; this girl who played with me in the rain. This beautiful girl who I really, really, like.

I lean down and kiss her for the second time. Again, she tenses but it doesn't take her long to relax. With an arm wrapped around her waist, I place the other one on the back of her neck and guide her into the kiss. This one is shorter and when it ends, I place a hand on her cheek. "We should go," I say, though I really don't want us to leave this moment.

She swallows. "Y-Yes."

"The rain's starting to pour harder."

She nods and lets me lead her back to my car. She pauses outside the door. "Y-Your car will get wet."

"I don't care."

She hesitantly enters and I close the door for her. When I get into the driver's seat, I quickly turn on the heater. "Are you okay?"

Clary looks at me briefly before nodding slowly. She takes a deep breath. "Mom will… my mom will not be happy if I go home like this again." Her voice doesn't sound as weak as it did a few minutes ago and it's good that her stutter is gone.

"I know a place nearby where we can dry off. That is, if it's okay with you," I offer, trying to stop the rapid beating of my heart. Shit. I want to kiss her again.

"And where is this place?" Clary carefully asks.

I'm not even thinking of doing anything with her. I just want to get us dried and changed. Also, now that I've accepted that I like her, I want to show her something else. I clear my throat, hoping she'll agree to go. "My house."

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Rumor has it that Nick Jonas and Lily Collins are dating. Apparently, Matilda and Jamie are still together. I was kinda hoping Tilly and Jamie breaks up again then he'll get back together with Lily but since there's this rumor about Nick, I'm losing hope on Jamily. Why oh why. My heart is breaking. (So, you know, I'll just let them be together in my story, at least)

There are only four chapters left plus the epilogue and maybe some bonus chapters :)

R&amp;R! I love you all!

xoxo,

i.m.

[All Rights Reserved | November 2016]

[isabelamay Copyrighted ©]


	31. Chapter 30

**Author's Note**

Karma's a bitch.

So two weeks ago, I was procrastinating and I decided to look for new Cardcaptor Sakura fanfics when I stumbled upon one which I instantly fell in love with. The thing is, the last chapter was such a cliffhanger and everything was going good. Imagine how my heart sank when I found out the last update was two years ago!

I was instantly reminded that I have to finish this story (and Love Rain) since I already started working on its sequel. And my devastation over the unfinished CCS fanfic only gave me a taste of what some (or all) of you must be experiencing while waiting for my update. So again, I'll repeat over and over again – **I'm sorry for being such a slow-updater.**

Anyways, here's Chapter 30 as a holiday gift :) Enjoy!

**OOC Alert**: This is a fanfiction. If the characters in here don't act the way they do in the books, I take all the blame. After all, characterization is one of my biggest flaws as a fanfic writer. So if you don't like a different Jace or Clary (and the other characters by Cassie Clare), I suggest you do not read this story.

Disclaimer: _The Mortal Instrume__nts _and all its characters all belong to Cassandra Clare. I merely borrowed them for this story. The plot and everything else in this story in all mine, though.

* * *

_**Arrhythmia**_

_**Chapter 30: Reality hurts**_

**-CLARY-**

"My house." As soon as the words leave his mouth, my heart skips another few beats.

I swallow. "Okay."

Nothing's going to happen, right? We're just going to dry off in his house.

_Jace is a playboy_.

He would respect me and he will know better than try to do something. Right? Right? I mean, just because we kissed, it doesn't mean he can just take me to his house and do something. He's not going to do anything! God, why am I thinking of this? And speaking of the kiss…

"Clary, are you okay?" Jace's voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

I quickly turn to face him. "Yes, yes."

He raises an eyebrow. "You sure?"

I nod, then turn back my face so I'm facing the window again. "It's just… that was my first kiss." The last words leave my mouth as a whisper.

I hear Jace inhale but I'm still too nervous to look at him again so I resort to watching him through his dim reflection in the window.

"So," he starts, "are you mad at me, then? Because I stole your first kiss?"

"No," I blurt out immediately without even thinking. I feel the instant rush of blood to my face. "I mean, I don't see any reason why I should get mad at you for that."

"I see."

I sneak a glance at him and immediately look away, knowing full well I'm blushing as I remember the feeling of his lips against mine. Why did I let him kiss me? He did say he cares for me but what if Simon is right and it ends there? And I'm absolutely sure that I'm seriously liking him more and more, to the point that I know I'll get hurt in the end.

Also, why did Jace kiss me? I remember him confessing yesterday that he had been wanting to kiss me for some time. But why?

"Clary?" Jace asks carefully.

"Yes?"

He clears his throat. "We're here."

It's after I process his words do I notice that he has parked his car in front of a huge house, obviously indicating its owner is a more than well-off family. Wow. I always knew Jace was rich, but seeing his house is a different thing. It's like those in the movies.

"You're shivering," he comments. "Come on." He removes his keys and gets both our bags before exiting the door.

I follow and when he swings their front door open, the created wind makes me shiver more.

It's even more beautiful inside. Elegantly beautiful, actually, despite the lack of numerous furniture. I look at my feet and see the drops of water from me. "I'm sorry," I murmur.

Jace sighs. "It's okay. You worry too much."

I open my mouth, about to apologize again, but catch myself in time. I give him a shy smile instead.

Before we can speak again, someone enters the living room from another part of the house. "Oh, Jace. What happened?"

Jace smiles sheepishly at the old lady. "We got caught in the rain, Agatha." He glances at me. "And by the way, this is Clary, my friend."

Agatha smiles at me sweetly. "Nice to meet you, Clary. I'm Agatha. I've seen Jace grow up."

Jace starts to walk to a side table. "Oh come on, Agatha. You were away for almost eight years. You liked England more than me." He puts our bags on the table. "Anyway, can you help Clary get changed and put her clothes in a dryer?"

Even before Jace finishes his sentence, Agatha is already bounding towards me and when she reaches me, she takes me by the shoulder. "Come here, girl. Let's get you dry."

She leads me to the direction she came from and before we got too far, I crane my head towards Jace only to see him give me a tiny smile.

* * *

At the fourth time, I break my silence. "What's the matter?"

Agatha only smiles at me once more as she continues to comb my hair – something we argued over for a few minutes before I finally gave up and let her. "Nothing, darling."

I bite my lip. "But you've been smiling meaningfully at me ever since you helped me get changed."

She continues to brush my hair. "You seem different, you know."

"Huh?"

"Ever since I came back here two years ago, he never introduced a girl to me as his friend before. It was always 'Agatha, meet her, my new girl', 'Agatha, my babe'. He called you his friend. That is something new."

I try to process her words and almost immediately, I feel the blood rushing towards my cheeks. "Is it not normal for him to have girls who are just his friends?"

"Oh, dear. It's always something more than that. You see, he's a lot like his grandfather."

I perk up hearing the word grandfather. Through the mirror, I look at her questioningly.

Agatha smiles. "My family has been working for the Herondales for years. I grew up with Jace's grandfather. As I was saying, they're alike in the way that they put their looks into good use. They don't deny girls their company as well as they don't deny themselves the experience of being with girls."

She worded it prettily but I get her point – Jace is a playboy, just like what his grandfather used to be.

"So you see," Agatha continues. "You can't blame me for getting surprised that he introduced a girl as just a friend for the first time, except the Lightwood girl who was his childhood friend."

I don't say anything because I don't know what to say. What should I make out of what Agatha just said?

A knock comes on the door and Jace's blonde head appears. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Agatha says as she combs my head one last time. Jace enters the room and leans against the nearest wall while Agatha makes her way to the door. "I'll go check if Clary's clothes are ready."

I suddenly become very aware that I'm only wearing a robe and when the door shuts behind Agatha, I start to feel uncomfortable. Here I am, alone in a room with Jace Herondale. We're under his house's roof.

"Are you still cold?" Jace asks, not yet moving. He has an arm behind him and he's watching me intently.

I shake my head no, unable to speak as I feel his gaze on me. Instead, I look around the room we're currently in – one of the many guest rooms in their house. I still feel his eyes on me, though.

I clear my throat. "Agatha is nice."

"Yeah. She went to England and served some of my relatives when my parents separated. I managed to convince her to come back two years ago, much to my mother's disdain."

I turn to him. "Your mom doesn't like her?"

"Agatha is loyal to the Herondales." He pushes himself off the wall and pulls his arm from behind him as he starts to walk towards me. "Here," he hands me folded clothes. "I figured you'd be too uncomfortable in just a robe."

I take the clothes from him but as I hold them in my hands, he doesn't let go. I stare up at him and blink and it takes a few awkward seconds before he clears his throat and removes his hands.

"I'll be waiting for you outside," he says before hurriedly leaving the room.

I sigh and a few seconds later, giggle. It was awkward but flustered Jace Herondale is just cute!

* * *

I look down at myself one last time, wearing shorts and plain gray shirt that are sizes too big for me. _I'm wearing Jace's clothes_. I shake my head, willing the blood to flow away from my cheeks. Inhaling, I open the door and crane outside. Sure enough, Jace is there, leaning against the wall.

"You done?"

I nod.

He straightens himself. "Come," he says before walking away.

I hastily follow him and we turn a few corridors before reaching the living room, where we came in almost half an hour ago. Jace doesn't stop walking as he continues towards the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I ask, pausing a little.

Jace smirks. "Just follow me." He leaves no room for me to protest as he jogs up the stairs.

I'm too nervous to even look around as Jace maneuvers me around the second floor of their house. I don't even know what I'm so nervous about. A nervous laugh escapes me.

Jace turns back and raises an eyebrow.

"I-it's nothing," I squeak out. "Really," I add when he looks unconvinced.

"O-kay."

We continue to walk until he stops in front of a door. "Wait there, Miss Morgenstern." He smirks at me. "Before you enter, you have to swear never to tell anyone that I let you in here."

I blink. "I swear."

His smirk turns into a grin before he opens the door to let me in. "Welcome to my playroom."

Playroom?

Before I can even process his words, I enter the room and my breath gets caught. It's a wide-spaced room with a sofa placed on the center, facing what I guess as curtained windows. There are four shelves. Two for books and the other two for… trophies? I look to Jace for permission and he only gives me a slight nod. I walk closer towards the shelves as he goes towards the curtains covering the windows.

I'm right, the other remaining shelves contain trophies. I peer in even closer to discover all of them are Jace's. Surprisingly, some of the trophies are awards and recognition in recitals and music competitions. He's musically inclined? Unsurprisingly, the other trophies are recognitions for his excellence in school, along with framed medals.

I turn to him and am about to say something when I see the view outside. "Wow." The curtains are drawn to the sides, allowing the ceiling to floor windows to give a view of a breathtaking backyard. I almost smile seeing a pool. And then the image of Jace in nothing but swim trunks suddenly comes to me, making me shake my head quickly.

"What's the matter?" Jace asks, sounding amused.

"Nothing."

He looks at my right hand, and it's when I notice I've been unconsciously curling and uncurling my fingers. "You can come here next time."

"Huh? What? Why?"

"To draw?" He gestures to my hand. "I noticed you do that when you want to draw something but you can't because materials are absent."

My heart skips a beat. He noticed that?

I clear my throat. "So, why do you not want others to know I've been here?"

He smirks. "Because," he walks closer to me and grabs me gently by my shoulders. "What takes place next is a secret."

He pushes me to the sofa and I'm too shocked and nervous to struggle. I open my mouth but he whispers, "Stay." I'm frozen outside but on the inside, I can't control my heart and it's pounding and pounding and pounding too hard.

Jace pulls away from me and starts to walk to a corner of the room. It's when I see it, something I should have noticed when I first stepped inside the room – a grand piano. He takes a seat in the stool, inhales, and ever so lightly, starts to play.

It takes me a few notes to know what he's playing –David Pomeranz's "King and Queen of Hearts". I listen intently but at the same time, I watch Jace. His face is relaxed in a calm expression, a serene look on his handsome face as he concentrates. I don't know but it's only now that I notice he has changed out of his wet clothes into a pair of dark jeans and plain white shirt. The way his fingers dance lightly over the keys… he's so beautiful.

The image of Jace playing the piano looks so beautiful and I feel my hands itch again, wanting to capture him in this moment. Who would have thought that this boy who touches the piano keys so gracefully and gently is the same guy who I caught making out with someone in the library months ago? Is someone who had hurt me, who had played girls before?

_He's playing the piano for me_.

The realization comes to me as a shock as I continue to sit there on the sofa, butterflies all fluttering in my stomach. My heart is going to explode any minute now. He continues to play and I know nothing about music but I feel like every note is whispering something to me and the song just touches my heart even as I can't recall the lyrics. Without realizing it, I feel tears prick my eyes.

It's too beautiful. I feel so… I'm so…

A tear falls and I wipe at it hastily at the same time Jace checks on me. His finger stutters on a note and stops abruptly. In a second, he's already beside me. "What's the matter? Are you okay? Are you hurting?"

Hearing the worry and concern in his voice doesn't help me and tears continue to fall from my eyes. He wipes them away with his thumbs. "What's the matter, Clary?"

I sniff and shake my head. "N-nothing. It's just…" I chance a look at his eyes only to see two tawny pools of worry and care. What's happening?

"Just what?" Jace prods on. "Is there a problem? Are you hurt somewhere?" He presses the back of a hand on my forehead and sighs in relief. "Do you want a hot drink? Anything?"

I brave myself and hold the hand he used to check on my forehead. "Calm down, Jace. I-I'm fine." It's almost funny how he's panicking.

It's as if he wakes up and exhales loudly. "Right." He runs a hand through his hair. "Why the tears?" He asks lowly and squeezes my hand.

"It's beautiful," I whisper. "The way you play. It's like… it's just beautiful, Jace. You play the piano wonderfully." _It reached my heart._

His hold on my hand tightens for a second, then relaxes. "Thanks," he whispers back.

I look at him and see a hint of a smile tugging on his lips. I want to ask him why he played for me, why that particular song. I want to ask him a lot of things but we have settled into a comfortable silence and with us sitting together, I'm aware of how easy it would be for me to just lean onto him, with our hands still together.

What's happening between us?

I lean back on the sofa instead and he does the same, still not letting go of my hand. I'm positive I'm going to faint any minute now due to the rapid beating of my heart but I don't say anything, even as my mind protests with questions. Jace starts to hum "King and Queen of Hearts"again and I close my eyes, reveling in this moment, wishing time stops so I won't have to go home yet.

* * *

"What's happening between you two?!" Simon demands over the phone.

I sigh as I watch the old glow-in-the-dark stars and moon glued to my ceiling. "I don't know, Si."

"He didn't say anything?" He asks again. "He kissed you!"

I jerk to a sitting position on my bed as my eyes automatically go to my closed door. "Shhh!"

"He kissed you!" Simon whispers.

"Yes, Si, I know, I told you." And just like that, the blush is back on my face again.

I have told Simon of Jace's special place and the kiss but not of the visit to his house. I don't know how long we stayed in the room. The truth is, I only have a hazy memory of what happened in Jace's house after I cried to his music.

"Earth to Clary," Simon's voice says.

I lose grasp of my phone in surprise and I'm lucky it doesn't fall to the floor. I scramble on my bed to retrieve it. "Yes, yes. You were saying?"

I hear Simon's laugh. "That I got jealous of a hamster today."

"Hamster?"

"Yeah," he laughs again. "You know, as they're trying to patch things up between them, Isabelle's brother accompanied her to the pet store today. They bought hamsters."

"And you were jealous why?"

"Because," he chuckles again and I sigh. "While we were chatting, she mentioned about how she loves this Levy entity and I just panicked and wondered who this Levy is! I pretended to be happy and you know what. And then I think I used the word 'him' and she asked who I was talking about and I said Levy and as it turned out, Levy is her new hamster and is a girl and that I have nothing to worry about."

I'm already giggling in the middle of his narration. "You're cute!"

"Hey!" Simon protests. "Anyway, I was relieved and embarrassed at the same time. You know, it's actually worth the embarrassment since it kind of gave us a chance to define our relationship." He clears his throat. "Clary, I am proud to tell you that Isabelle Lightwood and I is in the 'mutual understanding' stage of relationships."

"What?" I ask in disbelief, though really, what's there to be surprised about?

"We don't want to make it official yet," he explains. "I mean, it's still too early and we're still in the process of getting to know each other better. But at the same time, we have both acknowledged that we mutually like each other."

I'm smiling so wide right now even though I know Simon cannot see. "I'm so, so, happy for you, Si."

"Clary? I'm praying for you and Jace."

I close my eyes. "Thank you."

We both hang up and as I lie on my bed once again, I can't help but think of today's events. I just had my first kiss. Jace is my first kiss and whatever happens in the future, that will never change. Jace played the piano for me and I actually cried. We held hands as he hummed the same song to me.

What's happening to us?

I mean, I know what's with me – I'm sure I really really like Jace now. I can even go and say I think I'm starting to…

But what's with _him_? He brought me to his special place, he kissed me, he brought me to his house, and he played for me. What do all these things mean? Do I have enough to assume? And even then, what if I only get hurt in the end?

* * *

The first thing I hear is crying. At first, I think it's the neighbor or something but when I realize it's coming from downstairs, I jolt up from my bed.

Mom.

"Please listen to me," I hear my mother say. "You have to understand."

"No way!" Someone answers. No, not someone – Jonathan.

I hurry from my room to the kitchen. "Mom? Jonathan? What's up?"

They both turn their heads to me. I see the sadness in my mom's green eyes and the anger in my brothers' dark eyes. Both sights start an ache in my chest. Jonathan smiles. "Good news, Clary. I now remember my lost memories."

Why does he make it sound like it's not really good news? "Yes?"

My brother smirks. "Guess what I remembered about our dear mother here."

"Jonathan," Mom, whose tears had ceased falling, chokes out. "Don't."

"Why?" he asks, venom in his voice. "Don't you think my sister deserves to know the truth?"

"What truth?" I ask. I look around the kitchen. "And where's Dad?"

Mom covers her face with her hands as Jonathan leans against the kitchen counter. He looks me in the eye and even though I want to look away, I can't because now I see something else beyond the anger. I see pain and hurt. I still haven't set foot in the actual kitchen and I hold on to one side of the door frame, bracing myself for whatever I might find out.

"Jonathan? What is it?"

He clenches his jaw and if it's even possible, his eyes seem to go colder. "Mom's cheating on Dad with Mr. Graymark."

I feel like a hundred glasses of ice cold water had been splashed on me. Mom's cheating? With Mr. Graymark? "Sir Lucian Graymark?" I ask, unable to believe it.

Jonathan grimly nods as Mom starts to cry again, looking at me with pained eyes. "Clary… I'm sorry."

I choke out a sob and cover my mouth as I look at my mother, waiting for her denial but it doesn't come. I look at my brother only to see his pained look at me. "Please, listen," Mom begins but before she even has the chance to continue, I dash to my room and lock the door.

I don't even give myself a second to think before I reach for my phone and start typing. _**Please come get me at my house in twenty minutes**_**.**

* * *

"What's the matter?" Jace finally asks as he parks his car in the school's parking lot. We had been quiet the entire ride from my house.

I clear my throat. "Just some family issues."

"You don't want to talk about it?"

I nod.

"Okay. Where do you want to go?"

"Somewhere peaceful and quiet," I murmur.

"And where do you suppose you can find that in the school?"

I give him a look that says, 'duh'. "The library?"

He nods. "Right."

I can almost imagine what we're both thinking – the library, where we first met.

I move to get my bag but Jace speaks again. "Wait, have you eaten breakfast?"

Readying myself to bluff, I realize I can't and just resort to giving him a guilty look. Jace shakes his head, gets his keys and retrieves his bag before saying, "Let's go to the canteen first."

"I thought you hate the breakfast at the school canteen?"

He just shrugs, opens the door, and exits. I sigh and follow him. Even though I badly want to go be alone right now, Jace is right. I need breakfast. And the truth is, he gives me an odd sort of comfort. Thankfully, he lets me have my breakfast in peace.

When we're done and I'm about to leave our table, he turns to me and asks, "Do you want company?"

I shake my head no. "I'd prefer to be alone."

"You sure?"

I nod and he gingerly takes my hands in between his. "Just contact me if you need anything else."

I close my eyes in attempt to stop my tears from falling. I also take the moment to be thankful that it's still early and not many people are in the canteen. "Thank you, Jace. I really, really, am thankful."

He lets my hand go and I try to give him a smile before going to the library.

Once I enter the library, I go straight to the most secluded area and as soon as I'm on the chair, I slump down my head and close my eyes.

Mom is cheating on Dad. Mom is cheating on Dad with my math teacher.

I'm still having a hard time believing it. But then again, it explains a lot of things. Why Jonathan did not want us to eat dinner in our favorite diner that night – she probably saw Mom and Mr. Graymark in there – and why he had a fight with Mom the next morning. Why Mr. Graymark knew about Jonathan's accident, why Mom is updated about my performance in math.

A lot of things make sense now and it just hurts.

How can Mom do that to Dad? To Jonathan and me?

I think of Mom and Dad and how, in the past months, they've been distant. I imagine Mom secretly meeting with Mr. Graymark. I think of Dad and wonder if he had known all along or if he only just found out through Jonathan and what he must be feeling right now. I think of Jonathan keeping the secret all to him – it must have been why his mind chose to forget his memory of that particular period.

I think of what will happen now. Will my parents separate? Will our family break apart?

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so much.

I keep my eyes closed as silent tears fall, as I will myself to just think of happy thoughts, to not think of anything even remotely close to the truth.

It's hard but I keep on trying until I feel like I have no tears to shed any more. My eyes sting and I belatedly realize that crying while wearing contacts is actually dangerous. I miss my glasses and the thought almost makes me want to cry again.

Once I have composed myself, I look at my watch and see that I have seven minutes before the first bell for the first-period rings.

I go to the library's restroom and when I look at my reflection, I almost laugh at how I look like. I fish inside my bag for my phone. Taking a deep breath, I check for messages and sure enough, there's a lot from Mom and Jonathan.

I send a quick message to my brother telling him I'm fine, even though it is only partly true. I stare at Mom's messages for a few seconds before deciding I can't text her yet. As I continue to scroll through my inbox, one message catches my attention.

_**Hi :) Are you free after school today? Can we talk?**_

Sebastian Morgenstern.

Did he send this message by mistake? He has been ignoring and avoiding me for the past weeks. Why does he suddenly want to talk?

I heave out another breath. Who am I kidding? Of course, I want to talk to him; maybe I can find the answers that will explain his actions.

_**Hello :) Sure. Where should we meet?**_

After sending the message, I return my phone to my bag and start my way to the main building for my first class.

_I'm fine. I'm fine. I will be fine,_I continuously chant in my head. I _have _to be fine. I don't need to burden others just because I have a problem.

* * *

Even though Jace told me the soccer team has practice every Wednesday, the field is free of them today, except for a bunch of students who look like they're filming something.

I feel my companion shift in his seat. "Now I get why you like sitting here," he says.

I nod. "The view is good."

Silence.

"So…" We both say at the same time and we lock eyes before laughing a little.

"So," Sebastian begins again as he stares straight ahead. I mimic his action. "First and foremost, I want to say I'm sorry for avoiding you."

So he really did avoid me. "Um… Can I ask why you did it?"

He doesn't reply right away. In fact, he remains silent as he adjusts his sitting position on my favorite bench. I sneak a glance at him only to see that he's now looking up at the clouds. He continues to become silent that I'm starting to get uncomfortable.

I hear him sigh. "Little Jo." I snap my head towards him in time to see his smile.

"Y-You remember."

Sebastian nods. "Last night."

It's all he offers so I don't ask for more explanation.

"Can I ask something?"

"Yes?"

"Why 'Little Jo'? I mean, where did you get that name for a teddy bear?"

I can't help but laugh a little. Of all the things I thought he would ask me after remembering, the naming of my bear is not at the top of the list.

"I'm serious," he nudges me slightly.

I clear my throat. "My mom said my name's supposed to be Jo but she changed her mind at the last second. I liked the name, though, so I gave it to my bear."

He scrunches his forehead. "Jo? Because her name is Jocelyn?"

I'm surprised and touched that among the things he remembered, my mom's name is one of them. I shake my head. "When I was a little bit older and I asked her again, she told me it's Jo for Josephine, one of the sisters in _Little Women_."

"Oh." His eyes light up. "She's my favorite among the March sisters!"

"What? You read _Little Women_?"

He chuckles. "Don't judge me. I like reading, even though I don't appear like a reader and it doesn't go well with soccer. And yes, I read _everything_."

I raise both my hands. "No need to be defensive." I smile. "Jo was my favorite, too."

"Really?"

I nod. "I actually hated that she and Laurie didn't end up together."

Sebastian almost jumps in agreement, which is very unlike him. "I share the same sentiment! You know, I'm a fan of childhood friends turned sweethearts."

I giggle. "Are you really Sebastian Morgenstern?"

He only laughs. And everything at the moment just feels natural. Like it's normal for me to be spending time with Sebastian Morgenstern, us talking about books and joking with each other.

When our laughter has subsided, Sebastian gives me a grateful look. "Thank you, Clary."

"Huh?"

"You were the trigger you know," he says, almost in a whisper. "That's part of why I avoided you. I was afraid. But now it's over. I found my lost memories because of you. Now I feel complete. Thank you."

A warm feeling starts to spread through my chest. This is the only good thing so far to have happened today. I smile. "I wondered for years, you know. When I first saw you when I was a freshman and you didn't recognize me, I thought it was because we were both young back then and that I didn't matter. But then you befriended me and there's the matter with your last name so I figured something else must have happened."

He nods. "I remember it now. My parents were having a fight one day and my father got distracted while he was driving and we got into an accident. It happened that the Morgensterns were in the same hospital where we were rushed to. My parents didn't make it and though I survived, all I had was a name on an I.D.

"I immediately talked to my adoptive parents last night and they helped me fill in the gaps. As it turned out, none of my relatives were able to take care of me since they didn't pass the qualifications, as well as they weren't really interested. So my adoptive parents volunteered to take me in."

He looks at me. "I'm sorry if you thought I purposely forgot about you. You matter, okay? You matter enough to turn off the switch of my amnesia." He smiles at me. "Why would I forget about that girl with carrot hair?"

My hand automatically reaches for my hair. "It barely resembles the color of a carrot now."

"I noticed," he says. "It got darker. Whereas my hair, I think, has become paler."

I instinctively look at his hair. He is right. "It still suits you."

He tilts his head slightly. "You think so?"

I nod, making him grin. And then he reaches for my hands. Unlike Jace's rough hands, Sebastian's hands are soft. "Clary?" There's something in his voice that makes me look straight into his eyes.

"Yes?"

"I like you."

He says it so casually with his whole face smiling.

Is this real?

Did my first crush just confess to me? Is this reality or am I dreaming? If this is reality, then why am I not feeling like what I expected?

I blink many times as if doing so would wake me up but for every time my eyes close and open, Sebastian's still there, watching me fondly.

"I really like you, Clary," he repeats.

I want to say that I like him, too; that I liked him ever since that day when he saved me from the bullies years ago. But why can't I?

Another blink and this time, for the split second of darkness, I see blonde hair and golden eyes.

I open my eyes to see Sebastian still looking at me. However, I notice a change in his smile. "You don't feel the same way?"

I try to stop it but my head nods yes.

This is so embarrassing and so horrible and I don't understand what's happening. I've dreamt of this moment for years!

"I understand," Sebastian says, his lips now curved in a sad smile. "I'm late. I shouldn't have waited."

His last words confuse me. "Huh?"

He shakes his head and starts to stand from the bench. "Have you talked to Jace?"

Why the sudden mention of Jace? "Yes. Why?"

"I see." He nods as if confirming something. "You should always talk."

What does that mean? What's happening? I, too, stand. "Are you okay? Are you mad at me?"

Sebastian hastily shakes his head no. "Don't misunderstand me, Clary. Also, can I ask one last thing before we go home?"

"Okay," I reply even though I'm all confused inside.

"Can we at least be friends?"

"Of course," I say and try to smile at him. "Nothing has changed."

He returns my smile. "Good thing." A pause. "Let's talk again soon, Clary."

I reply an agreement though I'm already very confused. Why do I feel like he's holding something back from me?

He puts a hand inside his pocket. "Well, I guess I should get going. I still have people I need to talk to."

"I understand."

Even as we part ways, I can't stop thinking of his confusing words, and more importantly, of his confession and my reaction. But still, I'm thankful since it serves as a nice distraction for me not to think of the current situation at home.

"Clary…"

I immediately turn to Jace's voice. I'm halfway to the school gates after Sebastian goes to his car.

"Jace," I try to smile at him. "I texted that you don't have to drive me home."

His eyes are unfocused and worried. "Were you just with Sebastian?"

"Um, yes. We just talked. Why?" His expression changes like he's mentally cursing himself or something. "Are you okay, Jace?"

"Can we talk?"

His request suddenly makes me nervous. What's this all about? Still, I reluctantly agree and we go to his car.

Once the door closes, Jace mumbles something under his breath, rakes a hand through his hair, and drums his fingers on his lap. He obviously looks so distressed and I have no idea what the cause is.

No, I do have an idea but I don't want to think about it yet.

"So," I carefully start, "what do you want to talk to me about?"

Please don't say those words, please don't say those words.

"I'm so sorry, Clary."

He doesn't say the words I'm dreading but what he just said is even worse.

I swallow. "Sorry for what?"

Jace shakes his head. "I'm so, so, sorry."

He's not hiding something, he's not hiding something. Please, Lord, make it so that Jace is not hiding something from me.

"Sorry for what, Jace?" I repeat. "What are you apologizing for?"

He doesn't speak but he raises his eyes to meet mine. I see apology and regret and it's killing me not knowing the reason behind them – what he's not telling me.

_I see. You should always talk_. Sebastian's voice echoes in my head. Why did he say that? It's as if he knows something. It's as if he knows what Jace is not telling me.

And then everything just clicks right away. Jace and Sebastian. Sebastian and Jace. Their nature and what they're known for. Their sudden interest in me. Their invites to the soiree. The timing is just perfect it's impossible to be only a coincident.

It's like a splash of cold water – a splash of reality. Why had I been so clueless? Am I really that naïve?

Jace must have noticed the change in my expression for he repeats, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I shake my head as I feel the tears burn behind my eyes. "No. Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking."

"I'm so sorry, Clary."

He tries to reach for me but I flinch away from him. "What are you saying sorry for, Jace? Please tell me."

Jace looks at me and I think I'm imagining things because I see him become teary-eyed. Shaking his head, his voice full of defeat and remorse and regret, he finally says, "I'm so very sorry, Clary. I never meant to hurt you. You deserve more than being the subject of a bet."

**-End of Chapter-**

* * *

Boom. Bang. Bang.

We're almost to the end!

Also, I'd like to take the chance to share something regarding my Jocelyn and Valentine. As we all know in the books, Valentine was the crazy obsessed husband while Jocelyn and Luke were the… um, victims (?). Well, I wanted to try something new here, where Valentine becomes the victim and all those things yada yada and IDK, I never really liked Jocelyn. I don't remember if they ever had closure in the books but I'll work on that here ;)

Another thing. I was scrolling through City of Heavenly Fire for references and I'm surprised to rediscover that Valentine was the one to teach Jace how to play the piano! I totally forgot about that. Nothing important. It's just that I automatically assumed it's Will's blood that made Jace into a pianist. I didn't even peg Valentine as a music lover. Anyways, enough rambling…

I hope you liked this chapter! :)

I'll try to update before 2016 ends :)

R&amp;R please. I love you all. Merry Christmas!

xoxo,

i.m.

[All Rights Reserved | December 2016]

[isabelamay Copyrighted ©]


	32. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

_Announcement/Apology_

**I'M SORRY BUT THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE! :(**

So I've been getting lots of reviews asking if I'm still going to go through with this story. And to be honest, I had some moments in the past weeks where I considered not continuing but... I just couldn't!

I'm really sorry if I have been keeping you all waiting for so long. The past month has been one of my worse when it comes to writing and I'm honestly still in my writing slump (and reading slump). I can't find inspiration to write lately and I don't want to give you a mediocre chapter just for the sake of updating. So I'm really sorry for leaving you all with a cliffhanger.

I assure you, though, that** I AM STILL GOING TO CONTINUE UPDATING THIS STORY. I'M GOING TO FINISH THIS TO THE END.**

Please just bear with me. And please pray for my writer's block to go away.

Again, I am so sorry for not being able to update. I love you all.

xoxo,

i.m.


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